Always been Yours
by AddieDre08
Summary: After the breakup with Caleb, Spencer retreated to reevaluate her life choices while a new threat looms in the background. Contains Sparia
1. Chapter 1

I do not own PLL, its characters, circumstances. This is how I reimagined the story during my midnight hospital shift as a medical intern.

Spencer is not feeling that well that day, not a good week to start with, it's almost 11am and she's still in her blue pajamas with no definitive plan of leaving her bedroom. Earlier the week, Yvonne confronted her in a not so passive-aggressive way that Toby is engage. She understands her, but as what she told Emily, a dull ache comes in her heart, then there is the whole Hanna and Caleb kissing thing.

She could have just walked away right then and there or ask him to pick her, but her pride gets in the way. Everything is a blur, uber A coming after all of them. Her mom winning the election but a part of her just wanted to go back to where her life had been a year ago, before all the Rosewood mess. After Hanna came back, everything changed, he's distant and it's hard to assert herself when she knew in her heart, Hanna Marin is his first love. Pick the battle that you can win, she told herself and maybe she lost this one.

He moved out of the barn four days ago and she is not mad but more like betrayed. That's how she is feeling right now. Tears started flowing in her eyes when she turned and looked at the framed picture of a dog. That still hurts. She has not been in the barn for the past four days, she cannot bring herself to sleep in the same bed they snuggle together or use the shower they share a lot on naughty weekday mornings, his very own idea of 'saving hot water' for the greater good of humanity. The morning cups of coffee, toast and eggs that for a brief moment reminded her of what kind of normalcy she craved. She cannot sit on that couch without thinking of the first night, she is ready to tell him her deepest secret. He knew and with their hands clasps together, they gave in with the desires that they withheld for a long time. The way their eyes looked each other filled with passion that unleashed as they kissed.

The craziness and the constant fear of being set-up by A or whoever sicko that is just did not matter anymore. For a few months after a long time, she felt free to love and the experience is everything she dreamed about. She did remember what it's like to be happy again, her happiness that feels like it's going to burst in her chest, with Caleb. It felt surreal to be inlove again but more so with the one person she trusted the most the past couple of years.

For the past couple of years since that run in in Madrid, Caleb is the only constant person in her life. She was trying to run as far as Rosewood as possible and he is on that same race with her. The drunken nights in Madrid to the weekend sleepovers in her cramped up apartment in DC, Caleb is with her. Every now and then, she would remember the horrors of the dollhouse in the middle of the night and when she would grab her phone and call him. Some nights, he will come over to her place and he will sleep in the couch, he knew how to calm her down.

Spencer remembered the awful week last year, her team is crunching deadlines and some of her staff already quit the project. She is so stressed about losing her proposal and needed a Friday night out. She took her phone and scrolled for a familiar name in her message box. She started typing.

 _Hey, Friday night, are you free?_

 _Yes, what do you have in mind?_

 _Dinner or movie or drinks, people here are driving me crazy._

 _Spencer Jill is cracking under pressure, Houston we have a problem haha let's just meet 7pm?_

 _I hate you, don't second name me. Bistro at the 7_ _th_ _?_

 _I'll see you tomorrow and since you ask me first, you're paying, right?_

 _Hello, you're the one with the high paying job haha and you still owe me bet at the Philly game_

 _Fine Hastings, I'll buy dinner but you pay for drinks_

 _Sure thing Rivers, just don't drink your bodyweight, see you._

Caleb waited in the bistro for almost two hours because she got off late from her last meeting and he paid for dinner and movie afterwards. He find it amusing that a small framed person like Spencer will make a bee line to the movie house concessioner for large four cheese popcorn, nachos and large iced tea. She can barely hold everything together. And this is from a person that has just eaten ribeye pasta for dinner.

"Spence, do we really need all this food?" He inquired while taking the two tumblers of iced tea. She would usually buy so much food and she will end up giving up halfway and Caleb has to finish it, he knows the drill.

"I need food when I get nervous." She said while taking her change from the cashier.

The movie is supposed to be action-filled. They settled in their seats and Spencer felt all the stress of the week started melting off her back. Caleb is trying to finished off their food while glued on the screen. He felt her head leaned lightly on his shoulders. Spencer fell asleep. He leaned a little over towards her side to make her more comfortable. She very tired and somewhere between the wild car chase on the screen, he felt his muscles relaxed a little and he closed his eyes.

They woke up with a flashlight on their faces.

"This is a movie house not napping place. Movie ended half an hour ago" the annoyed usher said.

Spencer is combing her hair with her hands and laughing under her breath. They got off their seats and head towards the exit.

"Hey, I'm sorry. You know I don't usually fall asleep in movies. I can't believe I dozed on a testosterone-y action movie about car thieves." She said once they are outside the theater. She's still touching the loose curls on her hair.

He glanced over his wrist watch, "we slept for about 90 minutes." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Do you want to call it a night?" She is crossing her fingers that he would say no.

He walked over her and put his arms around her, "no, grandma you still owe me drinks." Now he started messing her hair. She flinched and jokingly punched him in the upper arms.

"Caleb!" she squeaks as he has not stopped attacking her hair that now turned into a mess.

He stopped and let go of her head. Now she's pouting trying to salvage her messy hair.

"There's a bar down the road, remember what you told me in Retiro? Spencer Hastings always pay her debt? I now blame you that I obsess about that show too." he said and she started laughing again.

She is touched that he remembers little things like that. She egged her into watching the series and after the second episode he is hooked. They marathon the first season on his new apartment last year and she loved his reaction. She sensed his fears and when some hero got his head chopped off , Caleb went on a ten minute rampage on how he will kick the blonde king on the ass. She has seen the series and read the books before and she loved how his reaction is priceless.

They arrived at the bar a few minutes later. As promised she paid for the drinks. She has gotten tipsy after the third round and she could feel her vision spin a little. She took a deep breath looked down on the floor. Some thoughts run in her, what if she tells him how she felt? But she reasons out in her head that this is too risky. The thought of rejection and losing him scares her most these day, not A or the torture she went through.

Caleb, sitting beside her asked if she's okay? He put his arms around her shoulders to steady her balance and she could feel his breath at the side of her neck.

Goosebumps are all over her arms. She lifted her head, and his hot breath is on her temples. She is drunk, but that time her heart wanted to say, she's inlove with him, freaking crazy head over heels for the past year or so but before she could start any alcohol induced confession spilling in her mouth, she hurled on his shoes.

She woke up that morning in her bed to find him sleeping peacefully on her couch, he is wearing her university t-shirt and a Spongebob boxers, he gets comfortable around her apartment and Spencer is not complaining. They got home past 2am and she is too drunk to remember but smiled at how she dropped her keys to the floor while having laughing fits with him. She cannot even remember, what is that thing they are laughing about in the first place.

Nothing in her apartment seems displaced although she saw the soiled shoes at the door and instant guilt flooded her, she brewed coffee and took cereals off the cupboard. Then she showered, changed into a black skinny jeans, shirt as quietly as possible. Before she left, she took a yellow post it and stick it on his phone.

 _Be back with bagels or if I'm late, lunch. Wait for me. Cereals, bread and coffee in the kitchen_ –Spencer.

She is frantically running in the stairs with shopping bags on her hand, she was gone more than two hours. It's not her fault that the sizes is not available at the first mall, she has to go to another. But it is easier that she expected. She followed her guts and trusts her instincts on what to get. Hopefully, Caleb is still asleep because she forgot to bring any food with her.

She gently open the door and he is nowhere in sight. "Caleb? Where are you?"

"Spence? I'm in the kitchen." She could hear him down the hall.

She is hoping that Caleb will not make fun of her embarrassing night at the pub. He is halfway eating cereals while sitting on a stool at the kitchen island. For someone who had a rough night drinking and babysitting his drunken friend, he looks good. The sight of him takes her breath away, he is indeed a beautiful man. He has been there for her, throughout the torturous ordeals of her past and can she really be blamed if she fell in love with him?

"So found your note, where have you been, I don't think you went to the bakery to buy bagel? His brows are slightly knitted looking at the big paper bags from the mall ten blocks away.

A smile broke into her face, "I came bearing gifts." And she extended her hand with the bags to him. A breath of relief flooded her when he did not make a comment on how she stared at him when she walked in the kitchen.

Still confused, Caleb just looked at him. "What are you doing, Spence?"

"I saw the state of your shoes when I woke up, I'm sorry if I ruined it." She was blabbing now, "I don't usually get drunk that fast, but I was so stressed all week and everyone is giving up on our project and that's my lead now it's gone. I feel like a mess, a complete failure. I can't keep up with the pressure and it's seems like everything is out of control and I screw up and now I managed to ruined your shoes. I'm sorry" tears flowed freely in her eyes. She's not usually the crybaby type but there is something beautiful about her vulnerability.

He stood up from where he was sitting. And took her into his arms, she started sobbing like a kid. He remembered him crying like this when he took her to the bullfight more than a year ago but after a few minutes decided to pick a fight with the drunken crowd. "Shhh, it's going to be okay. You will figure out things with your job and you really don't have to buy me new shoes since it's chucks, I will just brush it and it will be okay, it will survive and so will you." He is half laughing while holding her head on his chest.

She moved away, wiped her tears with her left hand and pouted. But later those pursed lips said, "Rivers, I ran into two malls to get your shoe size right, I'm not going to let you walk out my apartment with dirty shoes" she said stubbornly.

He laughed and took the shopping bag from her hard.

"Spence, you don't have to, this is very expensive," he said while pulling out a box of RL navy blue loafers.

"Caleb, please. I have the same and it's comfortable and it's a small treat for making me feel a little better last night, all other nights in Madrid, the night terrors, it's a thank you note for watching over me all these time." She thought about what would she be without him? A mess, drunken mess with chronic anxiety problems. She knew how to keep things fluid on the surface but beneath the glossy surface is a broken person. Caleb understands this he held her hand during her weakest and most vulnerable times after Toby.

He looked at her and for a moment he understood. All the times he spent with her and he thought he would gladly do it all over again. A smile formed in his face, he knows he is at the right place with her. He toyed about the thought of Spencer as being more than his bestfriend but there is that Hanna and Toby baggage in the mix. Several moments he found himself wanting to kiss her but resisted the urge and it pains him that he cannot act on how he feels about her.

She turned her back, took the kitchen tv remote and started surfing the weekend programming.

"Caleb other one is just another blue chucks like what you had on. And you know that I will never take a 'no' for an answer, right?" She stopped flicking at the documentary about starving children.

He is still hesitant about getting these gifts, but Spencer is stubborn. And there is no use fighting with her.

Spencer felt an arm gently headlock her neck, "Hastings, thank you for the shoes but I don't see any food in the bag."

She felt something swell in her heart, his warm skin or his smell or is it the morning stubbles on the side of his face rubbing on her temples. This is her kind of Saturday morning. But this is dangerous uncharted water and he may not feel the same way about her. Why complicate things, she thought. But Spencer is also think what she wouldn't give to kiss Caleb that moment. She told her heart to be still.

"Sorry, I forgot but I'll call the pizza place" she said as she grabbed her phone.

He moved away and started putting the bowl into the sink and started doing the dishes.

"Hey, have you eaten anything?" his voice is concerned. He was well aware that she most of the time forgot about eating or sleeping when she get her mind into something. He just put the bowl back into the dish dryer.

"Nope, but I will in a while." She said to him in between conversation on the phone with the pizza place. It's almost 12 noon. He is thankful that pizza place in DC are open 24/7 or people like him and Spencer will go hungry on the weekends that they don't want to do anything but chill. "Pizza and chicken won't be here until 1pm since delivery is clogged but if you want I'll go out and buy lunch at the café downstairs."

No response. He started moving and opening cupboards, taking pans out. Spencer is watching him curiously but not saying a word, he seemed like making grilled cheese sandwich since butter searing is making her mouth moist. Well maybe, cereals are not enough, she thought, so he let him be. She is starting to get engrossed with what's on tv and her attention shifted when a plate is pushed in her direction and then a cup of coffee.

"Not really lunch idea but if pizza won't be here for another hour, you need to eat something." He said as she smiled weakly at him and mouthed a silent thank you.

Butterflies are flying on her stomach right now. This is the best sandwich she ever had, she could get used to this. She shrugged those complicated feelings under the rug and went on eating.

"Hey, do you know if I have left some clean shirts here? I think I need to shower" he asked her while putting pans away.

She is halfway through with her sandwich, "yes, bottom drawer to the left and bath towels to the right. " She remembered those shirts were packed in her bags during a weekend retreat they attended in Montauk last August. He needed to bring a guest and she needed a time off. So it is win-win free weekend for her. Bestfriends, maybe and there is something lingering in her heart that wishes for more or at least the circumstances are less complicated.

"Spence, I'm going to use your girly shampoo again okay?" He said. She looked at him for a second and she broke into laughter, hunky Caleb Rivers using her berry scented shampoo and rose petal bath gel. This is too much for her, but she doesn't mind. He smells nice all the time and smelling him during hugs reminded her of waking up to the smell of Christmas mornings. And why can't Santa Claus let her have 365 Christmas mornings with Caleb? She could really get used to that one.

He looked at her quizzically on why she is laughing, that flicker in her eyes is so captivating. But decided that he would give Hastings this one as he smiled at her. She looked too pretty when she laughs.

He is holding a towel on his hand and some stuff in a pouch from his backpack. He looks at her and realized that he like this kind of Saturdays. "What are we going to do today?" He asked her.

Spencer turned her stool to face him. And moved her shoulders up, "I don't know, what do you have in mind?" She is rarely the kind that has no answer to offer but she liked this weekend bubble, it's one of her favorite moments.

"Movie, chill in pajamas and we will not judge each other with the amount of beer we will consume before 3pm?" he said.

"And pizza." She said smilingly. And they both laugh because it's like their routine, a comforting routine.

He disappeared into her bedroom and she could hear the shower streaming. A smile never left her face. But she also needed to keep her feelings in check. But today, she just wanted to chill with him.

She took her phone and took a picture of her half eaten sandwich and half full mug of coffee. And on her social media account, Spencer Jill Hastings posted that picture #perfectSaturday

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Her phone has not stopped buzzing all morning, she received multiple text from Aria saying she's with Allison and Emily chasing some clues Mona gave them the night before. All she can muster was a reply that says, okay. She has been an emotional mess and even for Spencer that is an understatement. Aria is worried that she has not seen her and days and she assured her that she is okay. Spencer refused her offer to come just to check on her, she said that paperworks in the post campaign kept her slumped. She is not even sure if Aria believed her but she resigned and told her to let her know if she needs anything. Guilt hangs over her head now, lying to the girls is not something she wanted to do but what can she do?

She glanced at her table and saw that she barely touched the food Veronica brought her before she left for a press brunch at the Radley. Spencer tried eating earlier, but it seemed like her sadness makes her stomach funny and she would just throw up everything. Maybe the sadness combined with stress that makes her vomit ten minutes after she ate anything the past three days. Even the smell of coffee that cheers her up most of the time makes her dizzy now. She weakly smiled at the possibility her heartbreak with Caleb just made her hate coffee. Pickles, she has been eating a lot of that the past two days and ice cream, two things that does not make her barf, a very weird food of choice for someone like Spencer.

The girls are busy all over town with the latest development but she reasons out her absence at SOS. She has not seen Caleb or the girls in almost five days. So far, it's also good that A has not done anything to shake them. The look of her old bedroom is still the same and found the irony that she would rather sleep in the room that reminded her every inch of the dollhouse than be in the barn and be reminded of Caleb everywhere. Heartbreak and trauma, she chose the latter. She remembered what it's like to be with Toby and lost him before but somehow with Caleb is felt like someone twisted a dagger in her heart. It hurts so bad that she threw up a lot after crying.

Spencer is not ready to face Hanna yet. She loved her but she also wanted to ask why she let that happen? If she doesn't feel like her going for Caleb, she could've said no from the start. The feelings she had with Caleb is something that she initially planned to be taken to her grave and she is fine with loving him from the safe distance of their close friendship, she did it for three years. It sucked that she let her experienced the freedom of loving Caleb but took him away the moment she had a chance. Spencer loved Hanna, she can never be truly mad at her and that's what hurt the most.

She closed her laptop lid and went back to her bed. She curled into a fetal position and she could feel the sadness in her heart. There is a void in her heart when Caleb left. Before she knew it, Spencer is crying again.

Her tears and sadness lulled her to sleep; Caleb is the last thing on her mind before she closed her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm not a writer, I do not own PLL its characters or circumstances. I'm a fan of Sparia duo.

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A little over two weeks have passed. Spencer barely left her room. She has not seen her friends. She just didn't feel like herself since the break-up. She finished all post-election reports for the campaign and emerge herself into reading. Spencer is starting to consider the idea of going to either medical school or law school after this Charlotte murder drama is over. She thought of getting away from Rosewood as far as possible.

But as of the moment she is seated at the edge of her tub and her heart is racing. Beads of sweat formed in her forehead. She knew this situation too well, the same thing happened before but at least Toby is with her then. Now, if it happens, she has no one.

Her mother tried to understand her situation. And there is a little guilt in Veronica's heart when she saw how devastated Spencer after Caleb left. She wanted to ask if her sending Caleb out of the barn played something in the demise of their relationship. Or what can she do to take her pain away? But the words got in the way. She just let Spencer know that she is there for her.

The five minute alarm on her phone buzzed on. She felt fear wash over her body as she checks the plastic stick that has been sitting beside her.

She looked at it with her shaking hands. Tears fell off her eyes as she closed them.

A gentle knock on the door interrupted her sobbing.

"Spencer, the stylist team is already downstairs for our test look for the inauguration." Melissa told her.

"Yeah, give me two minutes," Spencer replied. She walked up the sink and washed her face. After she carefully, she wrapped the plastic stick with tissue paper and kept it at the bottom drawer of her dresser. Apparently, Melissa doesn't trust her fashion judgment for events like the sworn in day. Her sister has stressed it two nights ago that everything from clothes, to shoes to make up will be done professionally that day. She sighed a relief; she doesn't feel like shopping anyway.

Eight days from now her mother will be sworn to the office. Everything will change from hereon she thought. But there is no other choice but put a brave face and headstrong. She can never let anyone hurt her again, not now.

8888

Spencer took the stage with her sister and her father, the next week. Senator Veronica Hastings are all smiles while cameras are flashing everywhere. The stylist put her hair on a neat bun, she picked a white A line dress with black applique lace design and a black pumps. Everyone went oohh on how pretty Spencer looked and she gave them a shy smile.

She is standing with her mother and she could hear her thanking the people that helped her and those who voted for her for putting trust on her advocacies. She lifted her head, her vision is blurry and she's trying to shake her head. Melissa told her to stop wobbling her head because it's distracting but she can't. Then she slightly lost her balance and she held the edge of the podium for a while. She could hear her father asking her what wrong but she cannot speak. She felt her father caught her when everything turned black in the middle of the stage.

88888

Aria and Emily is at Hanna's kitchen. Last night, Ali gave some documents she found in their attic to Emily and Aria. They are trying to figure out who is AD and it seems like everything is traced back to Radley. After leaving Alison's house Aria's got her car thrashed, tires are slashed and windshield broken. And another chilling text came in her phone.

 _There's more breaking where it came from, now watch who shall I break next?_

"Where is Caleb, I wanted to ask if he can figure out if I need to change phone?" Emily asked Hanna.

The blonde shrugged her shoulders, "he is on his way back, he has to stay in this work thing in DC three weeks ago and then he flew to Cali to see his mom." Hanna said while scrolling down social media account on her phone.

"Are you guys back together?" Aria asked in between sip of her jasmine tea.

"He doesn't call much but I hope sometime soon, I think we should take it slow, he is out of state for the past few weeks and then" she pouted a little, "with Charlotte thing still going on, AD after our asses, Jordan and well there's Spencer," her voice sound trailed sadness when she mentioned the name of her best friend.

"What about Spencer?" Emily asked with her eyebrows knitted together.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that she has been dodging us for almost a month now," she stood up and head to the fridge to get juice. "I know I've hurt her, not just her, Jordan too and this past few weeks made me realized that I have hurt them, people that loved me." She pressed her lips together, "I tried calling her but she won't pick up," she took a deep breath; "she hates me."

Aria held her friend's hand and gave it a little squeeze, "Hanna, Spencer loves you, and she's not going to hate you, hate you. Maybe she's just busy and well, recuperating about her breakup but she will come around."

The three girls started sorting out the medical records that Emily brought. They laughed on the fact that Ashley Marin will probably scold Hanna for making her kitchen smell musty, old papers. But they were interrupted when Aria got a text from Ella.

 _What happened to Spencer? I saw it on the news. Is she going to be okay?_

Aria with her petite form almost jump on the remote, with her hands shaking. Praying that AD has not done anything to hurt Spencer, her face is flushed. She swore under her breath that if AD hurt Spencer, she will break every bone on AD's body.

The news flash from local channel, State senator daughter blacked out while on stage during inauguration. No one in the Hasting camp has comment on the matter but Spencer Jill, youngest daughter apparently lost consciousness shortly after her mother's speech. Some people who are present at the event said that she is still unconscious by the time an ambulance took her to the nearby hospital. The camp of Senator Hastings has not released a medical bulletin for the youngest Hastings.

There are so engrossed by the news that none of them heard the back door opened, "is that an A thing?" The three girls are startled with Caleb speaking. They never realized he came in the backdoor a few feet away, "is she okay?" his eyes searching for answers that none of them can provide.

"Let's find out and hope for the best," Aria said while gathering all their stuff. All four of them head out and agreed that they will all take Caleb's car.

Aria is restless the whole drive. She keeps asking Caleb if they are taking the long way or is there a shorter distance going to the hospital. She also wanted him to honk on a bicycle. Caleb told her to calm down but the brunette will not let him have it. At some point she said that she should have taken her broken car and maybe they can get there faster, Caleb rolled his eyes.

The four are running in the hospital lobby and asking for Spencer Hastings.

"Are you a relative of the patient?" The nurse inquired.

"No, but we are her best friends." Emily said calmly.

The nurse ran something in her computer. She has this reflex smile on her face but whatever it is that she saw in her screen changed her face. Aria noticed that change in facial expression.

"Miss, what's wrong?" Aria said.

"As of the moment, the patient is under security and any information pertaining to the patient is confidential. Only immediate family is allowed, I'm sorry." The nurse said and some beading of perspiration id forming in her forehead.

"Look Miss, we are Spencer's best friends, if we cannot see her fine but call the senator and she knew us." Hanna said and her voice is slightly raised. She knew this game too well, and Hanna always knows the right people to get into security. She didn't get into most exclusive after parties the past years without learning a trick or two.

The nurse shook her head, "I'm sorry."

Just as frustration is overwhelming, and the fear that something serious could have happened to Spencer, Gil just walked in to get coffee.

"Gil!" Caleb called. The six foot man stops his tracks and look at the former social media manager of the Hastings campaign, "how is she? Is she okay?" Anxiety filled his tone.

"I'm sorry; I cannot discuss Miss Hastings medical condition right now." He felt a little guilty doing this, because he is well aware how Caleb and Spencer are as more than friends and doing the math, he knew that Caleb has a lot to do with it.

"Please, Gil." Aria pleaded with her puppy dog eyes.

So let them have something he thought, "I will let you in something that we will tell the media later, she is stable but she has to do some further testing. She will have to stay here for a while but," he is trading his words carefully. "Let's not make things 'complicated', maybe it is a case of dehydration." He started walking towards the elevator.

No denial, denial. It is ringing on Caleb's ear. Gil knows how to play games like this and there is more to dehydration than what they are letting on. Caleb knew.

"There is something going on here, and I need to find out what it is," Aria said firmly.

They started heading towards the parking lot and none of them said a word. Everyone is tensed.

"We need Mona to help us." Hanna suggested. She could sense that Caleb will protest but he didn't say anything. She started scrolling on her phone and called her.

"Hanna banana what's up?" She is always cheerful.

"Hi Mona, I need your help. We need to break in Saint John Medical Center to get to Spencer." Hanna said while Mona is on speaker phone.

"I thought you'd never ask. Just swing by my place in an hour."

So the plan is set. Mona and Caleb will hack into hospital database, find out what happened to her. So far the only record they can find is stable. No other test indicated or medications that are indicated on her file or as Mona said, maybe under strict compliance. So they need to physically be there to know what is going on. The plan is set, they will pose as nursing aids and if security asks, they can always wear face mask, it's a hospital no one ask questions if you are in uniform, according to Mona. She broke in Radley far too many times to know that after 6pm shift people tend to be a lot less tighter than mornings. So if they have a shot to get to Spencer, this is it.

Mona, got a box with two sets of mint green scrub suits and fake hospital ID. One for Aria and the other for Emily. Caleb, and Mona with Hanna will sit in the car and monitor their movements through CCTV if any Hastings family member or security may show up.

As Aria is putting on the scrub suit, "where do you get all these?"

"I'm smart and I like dressing up in real costumes." She said. Sometimes she still can be creepy or cryptic, and they roll the dice every day. "So on schedule patient at 7pm she will be wheeled to room 307 for checkup a test and it's not indicated for what" Mona stares at the computer. "Best shot is one of you will try to sneak in the elevator or wait for her at 307?"

Emily is impressed that the fake ID is activated. She breezed through the employee's entrance. She tries to act as natural as possible, she has face mask on, contact lens and her hair braided carefully. As she approached the room of Spencer, she is stopped by a man in black suit. She flashed her ID and he let her in the room, the bed is empty.

 _She is not here._

"Shit!" Caleb said loudly as he read on the text. Mona gave him a side eye and Hanna tried to ignore the snort.

He began toggling CCTV cameras on his computer screen, and Hanna can see that there are at least a hundred on them. How will they find Spencer here? It is a busy medical place.

Come on Spence, where are you? Just be alright, please just be alright, he thought.

Aria is walking towards the room 307. She is stopped by security but let her through when she showed her ID. She saw the name of the room. There must be a mistake. She panics a little as she steps in the room. A green curtain is drawn and she could hear Spencer speaking. She took her phone.

 _She's here. Update in a while._

The petite brunette draws the curtain and the man in the room is startled, "I'm sorry but can I help you?"

Spencer let out a small smile of seeing Aria there in scrub suit, she is reminded that they have done this a lot of times together. Aria is worried sick about her and it touched her to the core, "no, Dr. Graham, let her stay," Spencer said to the doctor. "She's family." And she extends her hand to Aria which she gladly took.

"Miss Hastings, this is fetus, our crown to rump estimate is about 8 weeks give or take five days." The doctor is pointing to the screen. "And what you are hearing right now the baby's heartbeat, I don't see any signs of distress. We usually start hearing heartbeats at 7 weeks and yours is very strong" The two girls are still holding hands. Spencer is crying upon hearing her baby for the first time. Aria is holding her hand and she understands how special this is for Spence, she let her tears fall too. The doctor continued, "Fetal heart beat is in normal range, not need to worry about anything but I need you to be careful and try not to stress because it will put the baby on distress. The nurse reported a small spotting and that's normal but just to be on the safe side, I will put you on bed rest for a month. I cannot stress this enough but to you but now is not the time to stress or be anxious, it's not just you there's two of you now."

He handed Spencer tissue paper to help clean up the gel on her abdomen. None of the girls recovered from their emotions yet, "so would you want me to get you a print out of the scan?" And Spencer nodded and mouthed a voiceless two to her doctor. Dr. Graham nodded and he went to the other side of the room where the printer if found.

"Aria, I'm sorry for making you worried," she's crying. "You know that I'm a mess right and I can't get this baby be caught in a crossfire between us and A. I don't want to bail but there's this baby that I need to protect now." There are no words to say. Aria held her bestfriend and hugged her as she sat on the examining table. She didn't say anything but the warmth of having Aria near made Spencer believe that she understands.

Finally after a few minutes, "do you have plans of telling him?" Aria asked while she tucked a piece of hair in her ears.

"I don't want to complicate things with Hanna and him, if they will be happy together, I will not stand in the way of that. I've been through a lot and begging for him to stay for the baby is against everything I believe in. Plus if AD knows, it will have a new target to shoot, I can't let that happen."

"But you have to tell him at some point, right?" Aria understands her pride, "it's not just for you but for the baby too, you know that, right?"

"Yes, but I will need to make sure that the baby is safe first and I'm emotionally ready to handle this new normal. Just let me get some time to have the courage to do this. But as of now let's keep this between us, please?" Spencer said sadly.

Just as Dr. Graham gave the girls the print outs, nurses came into the room and wheeled Spencer out. Aria is holding a copy of the print. She is not even sure if what happened earlier today has something to do with AD, but it scared her if it did. Spencer and her baby are practically sitting ducks, like them. And as she looked at the picture of a sac in the middle of the picture, she understands the fear of Spencer and her emotional conundrum. Tears welled into Aria's eyes again and streamed down her face.

They drove up the Brew around 8pm. Settling on the couch, Hanna and Emily went to the barista to get them coffee and sandwiches. Mona decided to go home after their hospital mission since her mother is expecting her for dinner, right now it's just the four of them again.

8888

Aria has not said anything since she got in Caleb's car other than Spencer is okay. The drive back to the Brew is dead silent. Everyone is tensed, Hanna is not talking. Emily barely said a word and Caleb kept glancing at Aria as if waiting for her to say anything but couldn't find the right words to start the conversation.

"She's okay, she seems fine. Found her during physical exam. I think she's clueless about the whole AD thing but the truth is she didn't say anything so that Spencer will not stress over it," Aria said to Caleb while two of her friends are still in the counter. Even before they are not the closest of the bunch, that being said she thought even before they dated, Caleb and Spencer has always been very close, they've always nerd-tech talk every time they can back then. It's just the two of them in the couch that time.

"That's good," he sigh in relief, "but did you tell her about AD messing up again?"

"No, but I can tell she's tensed, scared, I can't even tell the difference. I didn't have the heart to tell her about AD issue, I don't want to stress her even more. Right now, she's got a lot in her plate." Aria chose her words carefully, she cannot let the secret slip.

Caleb felt a dull pain in his heart when Aria said that Spencer is stressed. For a long time, he usually is the first person to know what's going on with her. How many times did he see her through her panic attacks? A handful of times, he would hold her hand until she calms back to sleep and he will spend the night on her couch. But he screwed up, he is not even sure if he is still welcome in her life. Everything changed; he shifted her gaze at Hanna talking on her phone across the room. If everything works out for them, he will have Hanna and the uncertainty of Spencer being alone surprisingly hurt him.

Hanna and Emily went back to the couch with food and coffee. Aria explained to her friends that she did not tell Spencer about the attack and that she is not even sure if AD has something to do with what happened. But Emily pointed out that based on experience, coincidence is almost farfetched.

"Okay, I'm on the phone with Ali and she found a medical record of Bethany being close to one of her co-patients in Radley, other than Charlotte and she referred to her baby sister." Hanna said while pouring creamer on her coffee, "well both of them are close to this 'baby sister' but it seemed like this person triggered something to Bethany, but we don't know anything else."

"So we are looking for a female former patient but did it say who?" Emily asked.

"No, some pages on the transcript of Bethany's session is missing, Charlotte and Bethany has an altercation at some time. Charlotte got hurt and is sent to the infirmary. As a punishment, Bethany is told that she is not allowed to see "baby sister" again. She went aggressive and is sent to isolation. Some pages are torn." Hanna rested her head a Caleb's right shoulder.

"But didn't Charlotte mentioned before that Bethany was left in Radley by her family? So we are ruling out actual family members?" Caleb said his hands now are tightly clasps together.

"We did not find suspicious family member so far. Bethany has not been getting a lot of family visits, Charlotte said before," Emily started unwrapping her sandwich, "it's driving me crazy thinking about these clues, who is trying to frame or hurt us next." She shook her head in resignation to the helpless ordeal.

"I miss Boston, I miss my job, I can't believe that after all this time we are still stuck on this A/Charlotte/AD drama. I want to get off this Charlotte and Radley train and the patient drama and doesn't seem to end." Aria let out her frustrations free.

No one spoke for a few minutes, all of them contemplated their lives before they went back for the hearing. Yes, they are stuck and the more they spent time in town the more Rosewood drama unfolded before their eyes.

Caleb dropped off Emily then Aria. The drive with Hanna is still silent. She sensed that something changed in the air. Didn't he want her back? She brushed it off as maybe he's just tired.

And as pulled over Ashley Marin's drive way, Hanna's hand is on his arms, "you're staying over here tonight, right? She said while her thumb is rubbing on his arms.

"Actually, no, I have some things I need to do." He just doesn't want to talk.

"Caleb, it's past 10pm whatever it is, it can wait in the morning." She said and her voice is lower this time.

"I need to drive alone and clear my head. I'm just tired and coming back to all this AD drains the shit out me sometimes, especially if there are helpless people involve."

"But I missed you, you never even called when you were in DC and if I didn't even saw the tagged picture of what I'm assuming is your officemate, I wouldn't even know you went to New York and flew to California," there is an obvious trace of irritation on her voice.

"It's a work thing and my mom wanted to see me for the weekend. It's not like I went on vacation." He said with full sarcasm on his voice.

"Okay," her voice is resigned, "but can I at least see you at breakfast? I have a meeting with Lucas new business managers at 10am and suppliers and buyers at 1pm, so I don't know I will be busy."

"Yeah we'll see," he said dryly.

Hanna is tired too, she doesn't want to pick up a fight with Caleb and by the rate this conversation is going, it will happen in about two minutes. She gave him a peck on the cheeks and got off the car. She watched him drove off. As she walked in the house, Ashley opened the door and informed her that Lucas assistant left some documents for Hanna to check. Her mother asked about Spencer, and she said that she's stable and is recuperating but some doubts on her head what really happened. As she closed the door of her bedroom, she found the stack of folders in her bed, it's going to be a long night, she thought.

88888

He drove for an hour and contemplated after two bottles of beer at the pub; he pulled over, Caleb took his phone out and pressed the call phone button. His heart is raising.

Ring, ring, ring.

Then he heard her voice, a lump is on his throat now he doesn't even know what to tell her but he wanted to hear it from her that she is okay, "Hi, this is Spencer, I can't come to the phone. Please leave the message after the beep. Gracias." He pressed the red end call from the phone screen.

Apples and Oranges is a cabin styled B&B outskirts of Rosewoods. Caleb thought that he needed a few moments of peace. The cabin is standard, queen sized bed, airconditioning, toilet and bath inside his room. The couple who owned the place pride themselves that they have the best breakfast pancakes in all of PA. He politely smiled, thank them and head to his rented cabin.

He kicked off his shoes, brushed his teeth and let his thoughts wander in the shower, he went to bed and pondering of what happened in DC three weeks ago.

A month ago, he is so sure that he will do anything to get Hanna back. The kidnapping put him on the edge and the fear of her dying made him thought about all the 'what could have been' with her. The possibility of getting back the lost love from years ago filled his head with so much longing. Spencer said he is confused, and it didn't even sink in yet to him then when she tearfully said she cannot work it out then good bye. Maybe there is a chance with Hanna again.

But before he can figure out how he really feels with Hanna on where they will go from thereon, he got called back for work in DC. Hanna is safe, but everything else is blurry.

Old folks said that we see things clearer when the dusts have settled.

Being back in DC reminded him of Spencer at every turn. He remember her favorite coffee and caramel éclair at this café near his apartment and she swore it's the best French pressed coffee in all of DC. The movie house with the cheap nachos, the Bistro and their favorite Friday waterhole seems so empty without her, the jogging path they would run on Sunday mornings.

Caleb Rivers realized his life in this city is breath though by Spencer Hasting.

He missed the guilty giggles when she buys them double scoop of hazelnut and macadamia gelato and she will tell him that calories don't count on weekends. The night before she went back to Rosewood, she's so tensed. He tried to comfort her by coaxing her to see a movie, she said she was cold and he gladly let her take the red hoodie he's wearing. The same red one had since he's twelve. He saw it hanged behind the door when he's about to do laundry and her perfume still faintly lingered on the fabric. And there's their picture together in his bedside table when they decide on impulsive roadtrip to New York to eat on this hyped foodtruck burrito, he cannot believe that she agreed to do that on a dare.

It's almost the end of fall then, NY is cold and they are caught in the busy lights of Time square, she is walking really fast since she said that they might actually see a show on Broadway. He's trailing behind her and she just stopped walking. He wanted to ask what happened. She turned on his direction and gave him the sweetest smile that still melts his heart up to this day, "it's snowing," she said.

Soft white specks from the sky started falling. She closed her eyes and took a long deep breath, and snowflakes got caught in her eyelashes. Caleb became aware how breathtakingly beautiful Spencer Hastings can be, he cannot contain his emotions, he wanted to kiss her but a part of him felt wrong about it but he moved closer to her then gently blew the speck away from her closed eyes, "what was that for?" She opened her eyes.

"Snow got caught in your eyes." But he felt gutted that he still wanted to just take her into his arms and kiss her in the middle of the flickering walls of lights in Time Square.

She latched her arms into his and started walking. He glanced at Spencer he long wavy hair touching her shoulders, and a red scarf that frames her face, her big doe eyes still smiling, he thought that she looked like an angel that night.

He is starting to have doubts on what he really wanted now. He lived in New York for two years with Hanna but going back with Spencer gave new colors on the innate bleakness of the big city.

Please Spencer, just be alright is like a prayer he has been saying over and over again all day; his last thought before he slept. He dreamed about snowflakes in Time Square that night.

88888888

Melissa and her father seemed not to acknowledge the new information that they just got today. They never asked and she's glad they did not. Veronica went back to the event after the gained consciousness and the doctors assured her that she's alright. Senator Hastings promised to be back by dinner and just said one of the most beautiful lines she's ever said to her youngest daughter, "if you need mom to be here, just call me and I will come. No party is too important if Spencer needs mama."

It might be the hormones, she wells up easily but in all honesty she understands now the love that a mother has for her child, she feels that way now, "mom I'll be okay. Go back there, Melissa and Gil is here anyway. It's not everyday you get a thanksgiving party for something as big as winning this election."

The older Hastings kissed her daughter in the forehead, "we will talk when I get back after dinner and we will have security personnel here, just in case some reported will start snooping here."

"I understand mom. Take care, I will see you later."

Melissa and Gil are at the other side of the suite, drafting a press briefing for her medical bulletin. It turned out, her losing consciousness at the sworn in lunch ceremony made it to the news and their lives are subjected to public scrutiny more than ever. She wanted to apologize for causing the commotion but she's not sorry for having her child.

She went back to sleep and woke up half past 6pm when nurses wheeled her in for ultrasound where she saw Aria bypassed her mother's security.

She stared at the bland food of from the hospital after the testing and thought the she's going to be more sick if they will force her to eat that. But immediately she remembered that she's not just eating for her but for her child too and she took a few bites when after three minutes found its way back up to the bathroom sink.

Spencer took the tv remote and started channel surfing. Melissa went back to their house to change clothes and she is alone again the room. She stopped by the UK detective series, she knew this show Caleb and her binge watched this on one of their weekend marathons. And the thought of losing him still hurts.

Two episodes later, Veronica walked in her daughter's suite. She changed clothes, Spencer thought. She's wearing a blue shift dress and a tailored jacket, she's still as beautiful and dignified as ever.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay mom, I wanted to say sorry for ruining this day for you," Spencer said guiltily.

Veronica took Spencer's hand, "you did not ruin anything for me, I'm just glad you two are safe." Spencer felt a lump on her throat that her mother acknowledge her child, "show far along are you?" she asked while sat on her bed.

"Give or take 8 weeks," Spencer said

"Does he know?" It's the same thing Aria asked her, but she withheld information about the possibility that Caleb went back to Hanna.

"No, I don't see that he has to know, mom" she dropped her gaze, "whatever we had is over and it will be a lot easier for everyone to move on."

Veronica did not pressed the issue any longer, "Spencer, whatever it is that you wanted to do, I'm here for you. Even if Caleb will not be part of the family you dreamed about, please think that we are here for you. Your child, has Hastings blood on it and we will love your child so much that I will not let him or her feel that there's something missing because Caleb is not around."

Spencer tears up, "thank you mom. It means a lot. I love you."

Veronica wiped a tear off her eyes too, "well at least I can spoil your child and you will take care of the headaches of being a parent."

Spencer let out a nervous laugh, "mom!"

Veronica stood up and started straightening her dress, "I have to go back to the Radley and if you need anything, call me okay?"


	3. Chapter 3

Another four weeks have passed. Spencer is officially out of touch from everyone except for Aria whom she calls every weekends to update her of her checkups. She would usually tell Spencer about her life but she's sparing her of the details of Hanna and Caleb fighting or ignoring each other all the time. He is starting to disconnect from them too although he promised to help crack the encrypted file Mona took from a security facility which she said stores the main frame data of the Radley when it's still the asylum.

For the most part Caleb stays in DC and Hanna seemed little by little doubting of the possibility that they will ever rekindle the magic. Caleb seemed distant and refuses politely to be intimate with or go the next step with her. He said that he wanted to know how Spencer feels about things before he can truly move forward and if how she will react about this. Hanna felt rejected and irritated since she cannot understand why she felt right about this and now he is distant and disconnected. If he needed more time to think this over, she's letting him.

Aria has been out all night and later sneaked into her parent's house a little after 3am. She went for a quick shower and tucked herself to bed. She is supposed to feel guilty about the things, she's been doing the past week but she can't help it. She took her phone.

 _Spence, can I come over tomorrow, brunch? Personal SOS._

Her friend is still asleep but she's hoping that she can talk to her soon.

Spencer saw the message on her phone the next day and she misses that petite girl.

 _Yeah, you're coming over._

They usually talked about Aria's relationship drama that Spencer would say is like something taken from a Spanish telenovela. Apparently, Ezra is staying with Nicole abroad and he still has not told her about their engagement since she's battling PTSD and her doctors advised him not to upset her. Aria even stopped wearing the ring because she said, it just reminded her of how rotten their situation is at that time.

"Spencer," Aria fidget at her teacup, "I have to tell you something but will you promise not to judge?"

Spence laughed at the idea of her being pious at her situation, unwed pregnant woman by her ex-boyfriend who 'was or is' in a relationship with her best friend, "yeah what's up?"

"After college graduation, I was here in PA looking for a job and I run into Jason," she's still looking at her teacup. "We hang out for some time and I'm single, he's single, we are consenting adults. I don't need to elaborate, right?" Spencer nodded. "He asked me to go abroad with him but I can't since I'm job hunting, it 'was good' and we parted ways, no hard feelings. But the thing is I'm back with Ezra now and he's gone a lot and Jason is back in town. We met up a couple of times last week." Aria hesitated.

"And?" rested her chin on her hands and tilted her head towards Aria.

"I saw him in the Brew, we caught up and hang out, usual stuff. It is raining really hard that day so he offered to drive me home since my car is still wrecked. Some switch flicked in my brain and before he turned the ignition we are kissing heavily and we had sex in his car."

Spencer exhaled, "Aria, newsflash you are not the person who invented sex in the car."

"I'm engaged remember? Anyway, it was supposed to be a onetime thing after he dropped me off my house. I'm so confused so I went to the DiLaurentis house the next day after Alison has left for school, to clear things with him, he invited me in so we can talk about what happened the day before and when he closed the door, I forgot everything that I have to say, I was attached to his lips. And it happened over and over again last week and last night. Am I a bad person?" Aria is blushing.

"Okay, friend thank you for sparing me the details," Spencer is refilling her teacup, "but how do you feel about Jason? Please don't tell me you're just using him for sex to pacify your frustration with Ezra?"

Jason is still her brother after all. Even if she did not grow up knowing any other sibling other than Melissa, Jason is always around being Alison's big brother but now they have that in common. He is never a stranger in her life.

"No, I don't think so; you know what I wouldn't do for Ezra, right? But with Jason, I feel at ease like I don't worry about anything, that I'm just Aria. I can breathe when I'm with him, like everything I've been through is just noise in the background. I zone out and not really stressed about anything, you know what I mean?"

Spencer nodded. She is reminiscent of the time Caleb and her are in DC. The weekend sleepovers at the couch and the burnt toast and coffee that she grew to love all these years, left a faint stabbing pain in her heart.

Aria continued on, "I love Ezra but a part of me wanted to love myself too, and it's hard when being with him drains the life out of me. I don't know how long can I give and if I can give anything more. It's not that I'm resenting Ezra but I feel like the expectation that I have to be understanding of the whole Nicole situation is tiring. And at the back of my head, can I really trust him?"

Spencer extended her hand and took Aria's, she gave it a little squeeze, "I'm sorry Aria if I'm not there to see your struggles, I cannot share your burden and there's very little I can do to keep the pain away. But I also know that you are a good person and you will follow your heart. I don't see anything wrong with loving yourself, I mean in the end, we are more liable to ourselves with every decision we take."

Aria smiled at her bestfriend and she always thought she's one of the smartest people she knew, "Spence honestly, if you were to choose for me, who would you pick?"

Spencer withdrew her hands and folded it in front of her, "don't do this. That's not fair!" her voice is pitching and her head is moving in a 'no-no' pattern. But Aria raised her eyebrows, waiting for the pregnant woman to answer.

"Fine," she said. Aria moved a little closer to the table, "I'd pick Jason for you, not just because it will make us sisters and Ali's too, but because he's been to rough family drama, but in the end I saw how Jason cared for Ali. With his semi-demented mom and our father basically absentee all his life and a stepfather who resents him, and a past the will drive normal people crazy but he emerged as a loving and caring person."

Aria gave her friend a smile, "he wanted me to go to Utopia with him, I did think about that for a long time and I wonder what my life would have been if I went away with him. Then I don't have to be guilty of all of these, I don't even know why it's supposed to be bad because it's so good, it's crazy." The petite girl stared blankly into space and had this smile on her face. Spencer don't even wanted to know what details Aria what thinking that is making her eyes glimmer and break into a gleeful smile midsentence.

Spencer took a bite on her perfect triangle sandwich and noticed that freaking Aria has not moved in 20 seconds. She's just there looking like a loon staring, smiling in blank space. She put down the bread and flicked her fingers in front of her friend, "Aria focus! Please don't tell me you're thinking about Jason like 'that' now."

Aria, still has that smile on her, "you know when the shower gets a little foggy because of the steam and his hair is all wet, Jason looks like Ryan Gosling. " The cute girl gushes while taking a bite off her sandwich.

"Wow, I'm not even going to ask how you came with that conclusion. Oh! Wait I have one, stop watching The Notebook."

And the two girls both burst out laughing.

###########################################

Since Veronica won the election, a lot of people came in and out of their house. Staffs have increased, from new researchers, interns, security personnel and Spencer most of the time got out of the way. The baby bump is not that obvious, as she described it to Aria as of the moment just like she's eaten a big meal. The morning sickness came to pass but some feeling she kept at the depths of her stomach like how much she misses Caleb.

The morning started like any other, she woke up, took a shower and went down to get something for breakfast. Her mother, and some of the new staff are already gathered in the kitchen where they are discussing briefing for their upcoming event. Spencer is oblivious to what they are discussing and she liked it that way. In between her spreading jam on a muffin, doorbell rang. One of the campaign interns, Anthony stood up and head to the door.

He came back a few minute with a package address to Spencer, and she remembered the baby blanket she saw online, that might be it.

As she excitedly open the box, all the color on her face flushed. A note is neatly placed on top of the yellow blanket. She's never been so scared her whole life.

 _Something to keep the baby warm in the dollhouse –AD_

She lied about being attacked and tortured by A/AD for a long time. Other than her best friends, no one really knew about these little things that left her traumatized for years. And now, the fear, the terror came back a hundred folds. Veronica noticed that her daughter is in distressed.

"Spencer honey, what's wrong?"

"Mom!"

She went against everything she used to do, she cannot keep this kind of threat from her mother. Now that her friends have other things on their hands, this taunt by AD she has to face alone and she's cannot let AD touch her child.

"Spencer, why didn't you tell us that someone is threatening you again?" Veronica asked while pacing back and forth into the room.

"We thought that we can figure it out," she's sitting in her bed with her hands on her temples, "it's the same person that framed Caleb from the information leak on Yvonne during the election, that person did that when we are closing in and we lost our lead."

Veronica somehow felt guilty on how she blamed everything on Caleb and she sent him out of the barn because of that, she remember how hurt Spencer is and somehow admired Caleb that he took the blame for something so that Spencer won't get the blame, "don't leave the house and I already made some calls, tomorrow we will up our security to watch over the house, Anthony is on debriefing right now on what the delivery person looked like."

"I have checkup day after the next and I ran out of vitamins so I need to go out today but I promise I will be very, very careful."

"No, you are not going anywhere alone. I'll ask one of my bodyguards to drive you to the hospital, okay"

"Mom, I'm fine alone," she's being her stubborn self again.

"I'm sorry honey, you are not leaving this house alone," the senator spoke with finality.

################################

Emily woke up and saw her calendar; she needs to get her blood work done. After all the fertility drugs that she took her doctor advised her for precaution that she should get check for a couple of months, make sure that there are no adverse side effects after she stop taking the drugs.

Her mother left early for work and she still has classes in an hour until after lunch, hospital visit has to wait later that day. She saw a sandwich in a clear Ziploc on the table and the post it from her mother warmed her heart.

 _Just in case you don't have time for lunch. Love you._

A smile broke in her face, and she started scrolling her phone. Emily saw that Alison left a message saying she misses her and she will make stew and butter biscuits tomorrow and if she's free, she can come over the DiLaurentis house.

Everything is crazy the past few years, but whatever it is, Emily always has Alison's back.

She breezed through her morning classes. The guilt of failing college before slowly fades as she attended the lectures in Hollis. She felt like she's given a new least in life, if not for AD, things is starting to get really well for her. Having a mother like hers, supportive and loving added on her thank you list and of course there's Alison, it's always been Alison.


	4. Chapter 4

Spencer confirmed her appointment at 3pm, who has been working for their family is asked to take her to the checkup. Her mind wandered off during the car ride, AD is lurking but there's also a part of her that refused to be afraid, not now. She will never let AD touch her baby, she will never be a puppet or a doll and be blackmailed ever again. If AD is trying to bring the storm, better be ready because pregnant Spencer is the storm.

She got off the drive way while Mr. Scott went to the park the car, she instructed him to wait for her in the lobby since she will be gone for a few minutes. She checked in to the nurse station to check in, and went to the elevator to get in to the 3rd floor.

Mr. Scott has been in the Hastings law firm security specialist for the past 10 years and for a couple of months is promoted into election security strategist. Spencer is not just his clients daughter but he has seen her grow up, and there's a part of him that felt guilty when he learned that Spencer has been tortured by A for a long time before. He is instinctively protected of her specially that Veronica said someone is trying to hurt Spencer and her child.

He entered the marbled floor, well-lit lobby that looked more like of a hotel than a hospital. And just like a second nature, he surveyed the area, if someone if trying to blend in, Mr. Scott knew how to look for red flags that most people will look over. Medical staff, doctors in coats, nurses, mothers and children, nothing out of place so far. He let his eyes wandered more. And then, at the end of the west corridor someone hooded slipped out of the door that connects the stairs to basement parking. The person is walking towards the elevator when Mr. Scott approached the suspicious person. As Mr. Scott is about 5 meters away, the person became aware of his presence. It turned and started walking really fast towards where it came from.

"Hey!" Mr. Scott called out.

The person started running and Mr. Scott started running after the hooded person, the door is slammed hard as the chase continued. Mr. Scott looked over his shoulders and engaged his peripheral vision just like what's taught in training. He saw the hooded person standing with its back turned on Mr. Scott, the basement lights are flickering. The security personnel took his .45 and aim on the person, "freeze, identify yourself. Do not make sudden movement or I will shoot you." The person raised its arm on a surrender position.

"We are going to get her and there's nothing you can do but watch," the person said, its voice on a scrambler like what they use on slasher movie flicks.

Then suddenly, something hard, cold and sharp sliced through his throat. He dropped his gun to the ground.

Mr. Scott has fast instinct when he felt the sharp steel, he jerked backward to minimized damaged, although he is injured he still managed turn and land a punch on the persons jaw knocking it to its knees and he knows that it will buy him time to run. He also knew that picking up the gun will slow him down so he kicked the gun and it slide fast under a parked ambulance. But there's two of them and he knows that he need to get out of there, he's trying to apply strong pressure to stop the bleeding. This is not a random attack, they will get Spencer and he has to warn her. He could hear their footsteps behind him and as he pushed up button on the elevator door, it opened and he went inside fast and pushed the close door button as he watched two persons trying to make it to the same elevator ride.

###############

 _Dr. Addison will be a little late, but your appointment is confirmed just bumped off at 3pm, she got called in emergency CS._

 _Okay, I just pulled over the parking._

 _But you can get your blood sample taken at laboratory 5 for processing just drop by our office so you can get the work up request._

 _Sure, copy_.

Emily placed her phone on her pocket after the message exchange with Carrie, the OB secretary, she just wanted to get this day done and over with. She's just excited to see Alison tomorrow. She took her bag and checked for the assigned readings from her classes on Monday just in case her doctor will run late than usual. Dr. Addison is a popular fertility specialist, she understood the struggle of difficulty in conceiving and she find comfort that there are people like Emily willing to share a part of themselves for others in need. And over the past few months she's grown close to Emily so she doesn't mind squeezing her in even after office hours.

She signed in the nurse station and proceeded to the elevator. She pushed the up button and when the door opened in full horror of a man heavily bleeding.

"Are you okay?" Emily is quick to hold on the man, "Help! Somebody help!" she called out. And nurses in the station came running on her direction.

He barely missed the attacker when the door closed. He feels dizzy but it's just a few seconds, he just took relief on the fact that he might really survive this since there's trauma specialist to help him out once he get in the lobby.

Mr. Scott realized when the door opened that it's Emily Fields, Spencer's best friends. He thinks that he will pass out any moment but there is something that he needs to say, "Emily, Spencer is in 307. Get her back in the house, someone is going to get her." Emily is still in shocked, she is being pushed over by nurses trying to help Mr. Scott, "they will get Spencer!" he gasped, "they're here," and his voice got lost over the noise of doctors, nurses and spectators on the side that watches the bloody horror unfold before their eyes. She started at the crowd gathered and the numbers 12, 8 and 15 on the elevator track display. She needs to get to Spencer fast, she got on her feet and started running towards the stairs.

Emily grasped the door handle and missed the name of the testing room as she opened the door in hurry. She followed Spencer's voice speaking lowly. Her heart pounding really fast, and she could hear her pulse in her ears. She knows that man in the lobby works for Spencer's parents, and whoever is after Spencer, they are not afraid of blood. She decided to eavesdrop for a few seconds before letting her presence be known to her best friend.

"So far everything is good, Miss Hastings. The baby is healthy, normal hearth rate, growth length for age of gestation and amniotic fluid volume is within range." Dr. Graham said while watching the screen and the nurse started adding cool gel on her belly. And just like that, Emily decided to fully pull the curtain.

"Emily what happened to you? Are you hurt?" Spencer asked her friend's arms have small traces of blood in it.

"No. I'm okay, it's not mine, someone got hurt in the elevator and I helped." Emily spaced out. So everything makes sense, her holing up in their house. She's pregnant and she's trying to keep her child away from AD.

"I'm assuming one of your friends?" Dr. Graham said wryly, with the rate this is going, he will get used to surprise visit from her friends during ultrasound. As reflex, he offered Emily alcohol wipes to clean her arms which the distressed raven beauty took.

"You need to get out of here and go back to you house." Given the sensitivity of her situation, she doesn't want to say anything to stressed her pregnant friend so she calmed herself and just say. "It's not safe for you to be here." Just as she is speaking, Emily heard that someone slowly turned the doorknob, and with lightning speed, she jumped towards the door and pushed it back and pushed the lock.

"What is happening?" Dr. Graham, stood up and is trying to sort out the confusion.

Whoever is on the other side of the door started pushing harder, whacking the door.

"Who is there, stop doing that we are calling security!" the nurse shouted and her face is flushed with fear. She quickly grab the phone and called the security.

The whacking on the door stopped. Emily, pushed her head to the door and listen if the person is still there, and she heard a whisper, "no one will hush the baby crying in the new dollhouse." And Emily, flashed before her eyes the horror of the dollhouse and now the fear of Spencer's baby living in that hellhole, terrified her to the core. She heard, running in the corridors.

Spencer, tried to keep calm and after the banging stopped. She snapped and quick to recover her priorities, she can't be scared or the baby will feel the same way, "Dr. Graham, is the baby on distressed?"

He checked on the fetal monitor again, "no still going strong, but surely I am in distressed."

############

Police arrived in the vicinity in a couple of minutes. Veronica and Peter Hastings are not far away. The Senator has checked on Spencer and Emily then Mr. Scott who is still in surgery but is relieved that his injuries are not serious. He is lucky that it's just part of his cricoid prominence that took much of the slice although there is a lateral part of the incision damaged a part of the thyroid gland but is lucky enough that it missed the thyroid artery. Veronica is now on the phone and she seems like she's crying and Peter is trying to console his wife. The Hastings family had a private conversation that Emily cannot hear very well. All she saw is Spencer nodding her head and tearing up and her mother have not stopped wiping tears.

Emily stayed in a room given by the hospital and later Spencer joined her.

"Emily, I'm sorry for abandoning you." She began, "when I found out, I thought about Hanna and Caleb and I never wanted to complicate them and there's AD. I just wanted Caleb happy even if it breaks my heart and you know I can never hate on Hanna. "

Miss Fields sat beside Spencer, "I was upset, I won't lie but I understand."

"I don't want my child threatened by AD at every turn, and I don't want to burden you, Aria and Hanna of trying to save me every time AD plays those sick games." A tear fall down her eye, "and I cannot protect you like I used to, I'm sorry."

Emily has no words to say and gave Spencer a hug. She started sobbing and so did Emily, she missed Spencer so much.

"Wait. How did AD found out?"

Spencer folded her arms in front of herself and started and closed her eyes, "I don't know. But what's clear to me is AD knows and directly threatened to take to take my baby to the dollhouse." She thought about the note that came in the baby blanket that's delivered to their house.

Her thought is interrupted when Veronica walked in the room.

"Emily thank you for saving Spencer and Mr. Scott, I'm very grateful for your bravery." The senator told her.

"Spencer and I have been through a lot and we always protect each other, just like old times."

"But still thank you, and Spencer it's time." Veronica told Spencer and sadness filled her daughter's eyes.

"Yeah," Spencer said in a faint voice, "Emily thank you for saving me and my baby." She hugged Emily again.

Veronica watched the two friends and with everything they went through before, she never doubted the love they had for each other, "Em, Toby is at the lobby and he will escort you home just to be on the safe side."

Emily nodded and gave Spencer a weak smile before she head out the door. She wiped the tears on her eyes and took put her phone.

 _SOS my place, 9pm._

Emily safely went back to her house and thank Toby who convoyed with her. She told her mom what happened to the hospital, there's no point in lying when 50 people saw her there and Rosewood is a small town after all. And how can she lie about something that made it to 6pm news. Emily doesn't really feel like eating but her mom will not let her have it. She offered to clean up so her mother can tuck in early to bed while she wait for her friends.

Hanna is the first one to arrive, then Aria.

"Why is AD trying to get Spencer?" Hanna asked.

Aria and Emily looked at each other and figured, they both knew the secret but is deliberating if they should tell the blonde.

"It could be any of us, we need to find out who this person is…" Aria said keeping her lip straight.

"I don't think AD is going to stop until it got Spencer, that's so scary." Emily still has chills on what AD whispered on the door, the trauma of dollhouse still haunts her but imagine a baby going through that, defenseless and helpless.

Just as they are talking, someone knocked on the door. It's just Caleb.

"I got your SOS, what's up?" Apparently, he is part of the mass message of SOS.

"So you get 3 letters and you are here, I called you 10 times last week, I get no call back?" Hanna is shooting daggers with her stares at the former boyfriend who looked like he did not have an ounce of sleep in three days.

Caleb ignored the remark from Hanna. He is finding the right words to tell her that he cannot move back to where they left off. He cannot let this drag any longer, he has to be honest with Hanna and be clear that he really is not coming back. It's going to hurt her and being indecisive, not talking hurts her too now, and he felt so guilty about the pain he is causing to the two women in his life. They had some point loved him unconditionally. But there are more pressing issues right now, him cracking something from the encrypted file yesterday and why is AD after Spencer?

"I had a break from the files from Mona, Bethany had a substantial trust fund left by her grandfather, we are talking about 5 million and it is under PA Belle Fortunes Trust. Since Bethany doesn't have a family around, and she cannot legally represent herself, MGS Greenhill and Assoc to represent her, it stated that on the event that something happened to her, all the money will go to 'baby sister.' The name is sealed under courts file to protect the identity, since that person is a patient by the time the will is drafted. I don't think this is coincidence."

Emily is pacing in the kitchen. Whoever is doing this to them have money to fund their mission and that made it scary, if everything is connected, who among them will be the next target? She barely recovered from the memory of dollhouse more than five years ago and there is no way she thought she will go back in one, "isn't it a possibility that AD is trying to get Spencer first because the most vulnerable among us? She can't really fight everything alone?" Emily said carefully choosing her word to make sure that no hints about the pregnancy will be revealed.

"And whose fault is that? She could have chosen to be here with us and fight back but no, she chose to stay hole up in their house. We are here thinking and worrying about her safety but, where is she? What if it's us is she going to come rescue us too? It only took one break up for her to abandon us!" Hanna never minced her words when she's mad, Hanna knows what Hanna meant and it came out with no form of strain whatsoever.

"Hanna, it's not like that." Emily said calmly.

"What is not like that? It is like that? She's gone for more than three months, no text, and no call whatsoever. After what we've been through who does that? And is this all for a guy? That's so petty guilt trip is fucking selfish, she's so selfish." Her face is all red now; all the months of frustrations trying to crack this AD identity, Caleb being cold, barely talking to her all these time and kept being distant drove her crazy and it blew up on this rant.

A pair of small hands pounded the mahogany table. And everyone focused their attention to Aria who suddenly stood up and is breathing heavily, "No, Hanna, you don't understand. No, you are not going to talk shit about Spencer like that, I'm not going to allow it. Spencer wanted to be here but she can't," she hated that after all they've been through, it come down to this.

"Aria, that's enough." Emily interjected a little scared that Aria will let Spencer's secret slip.

"No, Emily, they have to know. AD knows now and it's one of the reasons why Spencer almost got kidnapped today."

"Huh? AD tried to kidnap Spencer?" Caleb asked anxiously.

"Yes." Aria made up her mind, she's telling them and she will worry about the wrath of Spencer Hastings later on, "her security guy got hurt because of that. Spencer is holed up because she's pregnant and AD apparently wanted a baby in the new dollhouse. But even before AD found out Spencer didn't say anything because she doesn't want to complicate you and Caleb. She just wanted you two happy. Spencer is not selfish, Hanna. She never fought for Caleb even if she needed him to help protect their child because she doesn't want to add baggage in your relationship. I hope she saw what the two of two had been doing all these time, fighting, ignoring each other, very far from happy ever after she sacrificed her own happiness for." Aria's voice is firm and well of tears is forming in her eyes.

The room is so silent.

"How did you find out about Spencer?" Caleb finally spoke.

"When we sneaked in to the hospital almost seven weeks ago, Rm. 307 is the prenatal ultrasound room. I held her hands when we listened to the first heartbeat of your baby. Back then asked me not to say anything so you and Hanna can move on, so she thought."

"And I was in the hospital for a blood work when AD tried to abduct her, Spencer is in the same room with her OB. The baby is healthy according to the doctor. Someone tried to get into the door, and I heard it say that it will take the baby to the dollhouse." Emily explained her side and the chilling voice still haunts her.

Caleb face is still in shocked, his eyes staring at the glass of water in front of him. Hanna kept her head bowed crying uncontrollably, Aria couldn't see her reaction clearly.

Aria spoke again, this time her voice is gentle, far from the strong tone she employed a minute ago, "I don't know how we can help Spencer and her child but all this fighting over is not helping," she turned to Caleb, "you have to decide what you want to do, I hate that your treating Hanna like shit, and broke Spencer's heart but you have to make up your mind because you're hurting people in the process. You may be confused with how you feel but it doesn't take away the fact that Hanna and Spencer are still your friends, and we don't hurt our friends. And Hanna, I was right when I said that Spencer will never hate you, she wants you to be happy above her own happiness. Caleb. Let's figure this out because if AD wins, we're not just failing Spencer but your child too."

Hanna Marin kept her head down, tears still streaming down her face. She didn't know that Spencer never wanted to hurt her, she sacrificed for her. She is reminded of how much she loved Spencer and the guilt of playing a big role in their break up. She thought about the conversation Spencer and Caleb in the barn the night Rollins died, Spencer is inconsolable when she closed the door. It dawned to her while listening to Aria, that moment that maybe Caleb is no longer the highschool boyfriend she had and there is slim chance that they will ever move back to their old selves, Spencer and Caleb had a child. A child needs a father, she thought about the difficulty of growing up a substantial amount of time without one when her father left Ashley. Spencer is so strong and selfless.

"I have to go," Caleb said and he's heading to the door.

"Where are you going?" He was out of the door by the time Emily finished her question.

The three girls sat in silence at the Fields kitchen, listening to the car engine that sped away from Emily's house.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Caleb pulled over the Hastings', there are a lot of people outside the big house. Press vans from different local news stations, police cars, and other's he cannot recognized.

It seems like nothing is kept secret from Rosewood, specially a failed kidnapping that occurred at St. John's earlier that day that led an attack that became video viral in social media. Some spectators in the lobby took a video of the person with bleeding throat and the commotion that happened afterwards. In the video, it is inaudible but the people that are in the lobby heard Mr. Scott said that someone is going to get the youngest Hastings. These uploads became one of the most shared video in PA that day, and it's fast picked up by news outfits. The fact that there is an attempt to abduct the senator's youngest daughter is one too juicy news item to pass.

Caleb took hurried step towards the house when he's stopped by uniformed officers, "I'm sorry sir, but unauthorized personnel allowed beyond this point."

"I need to talk to Spencer," he insisted.

"Sir, please stay out of the line and stop pushing or we might necessary force to contain you," the guard warned him, still blocking his way.

"I need to talk to Spencer, please," he is starting to attract attention from the crowd of people outside the house.

Just that Mr. and Senator Hastings emerged from the house to address the crowd. The senator found Caleb immediately in the crowd with two guards blocking his way. She instructed Gil to let Caleb inside the house and told him to wait for them after the briefing. And Gil did what he's told.

Once the Hastings couple took the microphone all the attention shifted back to them. Caleb went inside the house. He found Melissa in the living area with a bunch of interns he recognized from the campaign team.

"What are you doing here?" Melissa inquired and all eyes in the room turned to him.

"Your mom let me in, where is Spencer?"

"She's not here." Melissa said dryly and moved her gaze back to her laptop screen.

"What do you mean she is not here?" Panic started creeping in his chest.

"Melissa shrugged her shoulders casually, "she's not here."

Caleb started running upstairs. Maybe Spencer just doesn't want to see him but it doesn't matter now. There are a lot of things he wanted to tell her, he wanted to apologize and just hug her. She might just be holed up in her room, zoning out from all the commotion outside the Hastings' house. He knocked on the door, no one answered. He turned the knob, it's not locked.

"Spence." He called her, but no one is in the room only silence.

#########

He scanned the room, a little messy for Spencer Jill Hastings standard. Like someone, took stuff and left hurriedly. Some clothing stuff on the floor that are misplaced or dropped just recently. Caleb sat on Spencer's bed. He looked up and saw the picture frame that has the little dog in Spain in her nightstand; she kept in all these times.

The desk on her wall had a collage of pictures of Emily, Hanna, Aria, Toby, Ali and him at different times. There's the ball where he went with Toby, Aria's birthday in Boston and when they attended Emily's swim meet in junior year in highschool. And there's also college friends from Georgetown, some strangers in his sight but with Spencer laughing holding red cups. Then he saw their pictures together, in Retiro park the morning they lay on the grass, the first time he felt like kissing her, their selfie in Time Square, them laughing at the steps in DC, them sipping mimosa at the poolside in Montauk, an office costume party that they came as Daria/Trent Lane and a Valentine's day Sunday last year that they spent eating cupcakes because none of them had dates.

Sometimes, pictures and social media status exaggerate the perfection of one's life. These random pictures reminded Caleb that he's been happy all these years. That there's a Spencer Hastings in his life that brought these smiles and laugher effortlessly and he just let her off his grasp. Their life is not social media perfect but he's happy. And how great it is to live the life you actually wanted, now it sank into him that she might really be out of his life.

A baby book is in the table. It has picture of the first prenatal ultrasound.

 _I heard your heartbeat for the first time when this picture was taken. I cried because, I knew that you are here in me and I am with you. I can't wait to see you._

She wrote on the book. There are a total of three pictures on that book, another ultrasound photo and a nursery she wrote in there the baby would love. And she had written something like a diary of how she felt about the baby and how much she loves her child. Caleb felt tears ran freely on his face, he's a jerk and he could have been there with her holding her hand instead of wallowing with his residual feelings. Spencer never made him feel guilty of his transgressions, she's going through a lot and she tried carrying the entire burden alone so he can be happy. But it dawned to him a couple of months ago that with everything they went through before, it's impossible to be happy without Spencer.

He laid his head on her pillows, he can smell her berry scented shampoo, the same she had in DC, the same one he used himself whenever he crashes on her couch. And the first scent he used to wake up and drove him to the edge during their stay at the barn.

Caleb got lost in his thoughts about Spencer when he heard footsteps at the corridor leading to Spencer's room. He got up, straightened his blue shirt and resume sitting position at the edge of the bed. Maybe it's Spencer and he thought about the things he wanted to tell her. His eyes are fixed on the door as the footsteps draw nearer.

"Caleb, I don't know if you figured. Spencer is no longer in the house." Senator Hastings said, her eyes obviously cried for hours.

"Uh okay. Where is she? I need to talk to her?"

"She's under the Marshals services protection now. We don't know but she's taken out of state in a safe house where she will be safer." Veronica is usually a strong woman but given what Spencer is going through right now, she's just like any other mother, protective of her child.

"But she's with a child. Isn't it a lot stressful to pluck her out of the house than keep her here?"

"You know?" Caleb nodded to the senator, "You wouldn't believe the amount of sacrifice a mother will give her child. I know that if it's just for Spencer, she will stay but the risk of her child getting hurt in the process, it did not become a hard decision to make."

He doesn't like crying but he thought about that if Spencer will get night terrors like before, who will she call? Who will be there for her, the Hastings' are all here, no Em or Aria or Hanna and she cannot call him too? He just wanted to know she is okay.

"She's so brave," Caleb is tearing up, "Spencer is so brave."

"I know she is," The senator said softly, "Caleb, it seems like you haven't been sleeping, go home and rest." And he heard someone called the senator down the hall and she's gone.

I'm going to get you back. I will figure this out. Just hang in there and be safe.

As Caleb is leaving the room he saw an ultrasound print out that is not attached to the baby book, he took the picture in his pocket. It's dated today. It's the most recent picture of his child. He needs to get his mind in order. He took out his phone once he got in the car.

#############

 _Where are you, we need to talk._

 _I just got home._

 _Okay, wait for me._

The drove off and his mind is still thinking about the revelations he found out today and how it changed his life. As he pulled over a familiar street he knew he has to take care of this once and for all. He saw the person he is intend to visit, sitting at the steps of the porch. He got off the vehicle and walked towards the house.

"How is she?"

"Gone," he said as he sat on the same plane of the porch steps, "she's gone." Caleb started to bring his hands on his forehead, he's also been crying the whole drive through.

"What do you mean she's gone," Hanna said her voice all confused, "where did she go?"

"Her parents decided to ask for the Marshals services to help and she's under their protection now" he ran his fingers on his hair, "I don't know probably in a safe house in the middle of nowhere."

"I'm so sorry to hear about that."

But he came to her for a reason, and he needs to get it done, he owes it to her and to Spencer. "I came here to apologize for hurting you the past few months, even way before that," he began "when I got my jealousy get the best of me back then and when you got kidnapped before, I got confused when we got you got back that 'I also wanted to start over' but when I went back to DC and Spencer broke up with me it occurred to me that she's been my everything all these time."

"I thought you wanted us, the kiss we shared felt so right, you can't tell me you didn't feel that too?"

"Yes, I thought so too. But going back to DC and New York reminded me that Spencer colors my world and filled it with so much happiness that I took for granted. When you and I broke up before, I felt like a part of me died and I really felt like dying but when I found Spencer in Spain and got to know her as person, I realized that I didn't just got to know her in Madrid but she breathe a new least of life for me. She taught me how to laugh again, dream big, live and love more. The best thing about the past three years even before we even started dating, is at the end of the day I know that with Spencer, she is mine and I am hers. And now she's gone. I'm such a jerk I haven't even told her I love her yet, and I'm scared that I may not even have a chance to tell her that." Caleb voice is shaking, the lump on his throat gave way for fresh tears rolling down his eyes.

Hanna felt the stabbing pain of this revelation. She wanted to get mad at him but she can't, she understands that now. Spencer and Caleb did not happen overnight, but they loved each other for years but thought about how hard it must be to fight back feelings for the sake of your friend. Spencer is an amazing person and Caleb is a loving person, what better way to create a family? She knows that this will hurt for a while but she also knew that one day she will find that person for her, who will love her the same way she does. And she will see two of the people she loved the most make an amazing family.

"Caleb, I understand. I'm not going to say it doesn't hurt because it does, but I'm glad you said it." She's also tearing up and realized at the moment the Caleb chapter of her life is finally over.

"I'm sorry, Hanna. I didn't mean to hurt you. I got confused and it took me a while to find the right words."

She patted her hands on his shoulders, "don't worry I'm a big girl, I'd be okay."

"One of the last things Spencer said to me was, she wanted to be with a person that thinks about her first and last things at night. And I'm trying to crunch this AD things before because maybe, just maybe if I can make this stop, she will have a reason to welcome me back for a second chance. Spencer is all I think of now and how to get her back."

"I dreaded the time this conversation will actually happen but now I realized it's necessary for us to grow and accept that we've grown up and in your part fell in love with Spencer." Hanna's hands are clasp tightly under her chin.

"Thank you, for understanding and I'm sorry for hurting you before and this time around, if there's one thing I regret about how this happened is that I caused you so much pain. I'm sorry Hanna for hurting you." Caleb stood up and started walking towards his car.

"Caleb, how are we going to get her back?"

It's a question that as of the moment he doesn't know the exact answer but all he knew if he needs to figure out AD so she can come back and stop living in fear.

He stopped walking and contemplated for answers, "I have to try even of it kills me, I can't fail Spencer and our child altogether."

Hanna watched Caleb drove away, she felt sadness but relief at the same time. She trust that Caleb will find a way to get Spencer back. As she's walking back at the she felt the burden lifted off her heart something that she never had before when Caleb left for Europe. Hanna cried a little that night but knew that she truly is at peace and can move on finally.

Caleb put away the cans of beer in the table of the cabin he's been staying on, he needs to focus and alcohol will not help. He took out the picture he found at Spencer's room and clip it next to the photo booth picture of him and Spencer in DC.

I need you to hang in there, daddy will find a way to get you and your mommy home safe, I will figure it out, he thought. And open the lid of his laptop and started running again the encryption of the files Mona gave the week before. AD or whoever that person is cannot be perfect all the time, there's something that he missed out somewhere, something that could safely get Spencer back to Rosewood.

The memory of waking up smelling berry scented shampoo on Spencer's hair is the last thing he thought before he drifted to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Earlier that day, Spencer Hastings looked at her favorite wristwatch, it's almost 5pm. She could hear mother downstairs talking to a bunch of people from the Marshals. She is not informed where she's goings but she is just asked to get her things ready and packed only the essentials. She pulled stuff from her closet and some of her clothes dropped on the floor, normally that's inexcusable but not this time. She's only allowed one small luggage so that she will not raise suspicions.

Veronica entered her room and obviously the matriarch of the Hastings clan had been crying for hours, "are you ready?"

"Yeah," she gave a weak smile and looked around her room then nodded her head in satisfaction of what she's seeing.

"I just want you to be safe and you take care of yourself," she didn't hold back her tears as she kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Thank you mom for doing this and I just hope that I can stay and find out who this AD is but I cannot."

Veronica held her daughter's hand and squeeze it, "we will catch this person, you will stay out until we find this person and we will take care of this." She held her daughters hand on their way to the living area where the Marshalls are waiting for Spencer Hastings.

A man in his late thirties wearing introduced himself as Derek Lane. He gave Spencer an envelope and informed him not to open it until they are in the vehicle out of Rosewoods. Her luggage is taken by another agent in the back SUV parked at the back door gate of the Hastings place.

Peter Hastings is not usually the emotional type but this time he hugged his daughter. At this time all they have to do is trust that the Marshals can protect their daughter better. He wiped the tears on the eyes of Spencer and she is out of the door.

Spencer got into the passenger side of the SUV and opened the envelope. It contained everything that will happen to her in the next 120 days. They are in Philly in two hours and as they pulled into a private hangar, she felt relief for the first time that day.

In the next few minutes, she got into a briefing with another agent and she nodded and felt so drained to ask questions. She just let them know she understands the instruction. The flickering lights in the runway and the little lights around Philly took away some burden from her heart. Maybe going away is not that bad, not just because of AD but because of the memories of Caleb maybe a thousand miles away would make some of those pain seemed so far away. A little over an hour the plane landed in a little airport, same drill she's asked to get in another black SUV that will take her in some small town 100 miles away from the airport.

At 10pm Spencer is introduced to Agent Wesley Jones, her point of contact in Mapleton. She will stay in one of the units in a three story building in the middle of town that looked a lot a smaller version of Rosewood. The unassuming building is about 20 years old but the front door requires a key card to enter, it has a concierge in the entrance that controls who gets in and out of the building, monitored CCTV in the hallways, and all the rooms have state of the art lock system to access the rooms. Most of the tenants in that building are agents in training working on cases like Spencer or witness protective services. She's briefed on the protocols; she's not allowed to contact anyone without authorization. Phones and social media accounts are off limits too, the town is generally safe but she's asked not to go out a lot since she's running away from an unknown enemy and given the medical sensitivity of her situation, she's more vulnerable.

Her unit is a studio apartment on the third floor about 45 square meters. It has its own bath and a kitchenette with a small refrigerator, oven and a stove. The place reminded Spencer of her old dorm in Georgetown. She changed the beddings when she settled in, took a shower and slept peacefully that night.

##############

Caleb has been working non-stop for the past three weeks. He found out about the money and is very sure that he is on the right track with his one. He breezed through the system of the law firm that handles the account and there are things that he found very peculiar, like every month shares on the interest of the investments is paid for by the investment managers to the law firm where it will get its service fee of 15% then the rest of the money will be wired in an offshore account, not a proper bank account but an offshore account. He is familiar with this kind of deals, he help catch people like this and usually it only boils down to its tax evasion, money laundering or someone just don't want paper trail on their money.

He blinks a couple more times, he's finding needle out of the haystack, more than a week to get through here, he thought. The law firm diverted the money trail four times and all of them are dead ends so far. He crack on one more lead, no name , just an account number. There must be something here that is not covered or they forgot to cover at least.

And then numbers have been bouncing in and out of his screen for the past week, his head hurts like crazy but that should not distract him, he has two people that needed this to be done pronto and he can only get her back if this is solved.

The 30% of the money actually is diverted into an online prepaid credit card account with the name, Adam Machiavelli, Caleb thought that it's very creative and fake. But sometimes these kind of things when one believed that no one is looking can be a little careless. He tried his luck one more time to access the transaction records and he knew this maze too well, this is he is paid very well because the help design security protocols for websites like this one, and Caleb patiently waited for a confirmation that he is in.

Just like that, luck smiled to Caleb and transactions in the last 7 days loaded on his computer. Most of it encrypted and he is sorting out which one will give him better chance of catching this person. ATM withdrawals are almost off-limits because of the strict bank main frame for CCTV access. But somewhere here, there must be something, he thought.

And there is a common transaction every other day, at a store in the outskirts of Rosewoods. He pushed deeper, it's a self-service gas station in the highway. He took note of the time of the transaction.

Good thing about Slim Sammie's Dad Gas is it is a national franchise and their CCTV monitoring is stored in a mainframe that Caleb thought is too easy to breach. His heart is racing now, he is one step closer to finding out who is messing up with them. The video archive is sorted by the dates and location of the franchise, he patiently waited as he knew he is seconds away from unmasking this person.

Caleb watched the video time stamped 2:07am, a black van pulled over the empty gas station. A man in black hoodie came out and put the gas on the vehicle. One of the things that this person forgot is, there's also a camera installed at the gas pump where the card in inserted as a measure to combat credit card theft. Caleb's jaw drop, he knew that person and Noel Kahn is the guy in hoodie.

He took his phone and sent a familiar message to a group that will surely welcome this development.

 _SOS. Apple and Orange Cabin._

And he patiently waited and while doing so carefully planning on how to trap this person. He thought about Spencer, hang in there, I'm a step closer to figuring this out.

############

It's been three over weeks since her conversation with Caleb. She doesn't see him that much. But little by little things have been picking up for her. Lucas helped her set up the store styling consultancy service and she's been all over the place trying to get suppliers consider her expertise. It's not yet operational but AD have bothered them the past few days although she worries about Spencer, she's also relieved that she's somewhere protected and out of AD's reach.

She picked out her favorite little black tube dress, it's been a while since it's been off the closet. She let he blonde hair loose and put on a bright red lipstick. She needed this time alone, away from AD drama, away from Caleb and Spencer, away from the demands of her work. She pulled over the Radley's at 10pm and went straight to the club at the east side of the hotel. She just wanted to dance and drink this night away and it's not like Hanna Marin is the type that will stay alone in a bar, eventually a company will always find their way to hers.

Hanna surveyed the area, most of the people in the Club Asylum at the Radley's are strangers save for some she remembered from Rosewood. She sat at the farthest seat at the bar and ordered daiquiris while she checked her phone if there is an update with her schedule of meetings the next day.

On her second drink, one guy sat on the empty stool beside her. Hanna looked up, first things she noticed is the gray shirt, short hair and $700 designer dark jeans that they used to get for celebrity clients but that looked so unassuming in contrast to a 20 thousand dollar Swiss watch. He ordered light beer and Hanna knew there is something familiar about this guy. Their eyes met and they both smiled.

"Hello, stranger!" Hanna said with a grin.

"Hi, Hanna, I wasn't even sure if you still remember me." The guy said smiling at Hanna while peeling the label of the light beer he's holding.

"Travis Hobbs, wtf!" she laughed and she hugged him, "it's not like you are a random person, what brings you here?"

"My old man had a hernia operation last weekend and is recuperating, the man just refused to stop working." He said shaking his head.

"That's tough, maybe he just loves his job way too much and you Mr. Bigshot, no rings yet but what's keeping you busy?"

The cutie smiled at Hanna, "I work as a design engineer a car racing biz. I'm part of the safety design team since I graduated from college, well actually I interned for them since before I even went to college. Our job is to make sure that it's faster and safer or how we can improve on quality of super race cars. So I'm all over the place depending on where the race season takes us but mostly I stay in Montecarlo, Switzerland and Morocco, not very conducive for dating since I travel a lot."

Hanna always loved Montecarlo, she thought about the glamour events that is said to be one of the most exclusive in the world, and she ordered two tequila shot. She hasn't done tequila shots in a very long time and she's just glad she's hanging out with him.

The alcohol is getting into her head. They are catching up with each other and how they've been doing the past six years. She laughed hard with Travis and it's the best she felt in a very long time. They started dancing and Hanna could smell him, his faint but musky, sandalwood perfume, she ran her fingers at the back of his head, his hair is still short just like when they are still in high school. He is always the gentleman, that's one person that never disappointed her, that one guy that saved her and her mom. Hanna remembered how this guy showed her nothing but kindness before.

By the time the music ended the bartender called them for another rounds of tequila shots. Hanna is slowly letting her inhibition go wild, Travis took his shot glass and Hanna just for fun took the salt shaker.

"You can shake this anywhere you want." She said while putting the glass shaker on his hand and letting her fingers linger a little longer on his palms.

"Anywhere, I want?" his voice dropped an octave and Hanna can see his eyes growing darker by the minute.

"Anywhere you want." She whispered on his ear and she playfully bit his ear and let the tip of her tongue run at the back of his ears.

Travis took his shot and shook salt in Hanna's collarbones. He took his time when his tongue touched the base of her throat. The music is loud but he heard he let out a soft moan when he started kissing her throat. Hanna cupped his face and pulled his face towards her, kissing Travis is familiar but exciting at the same time. She's consumed by so much passion she never thought she would feel again for another guy. She broke the kiss, and looked at Travis, his lips soft but passionate the same time, his jaws that are more defined now and his blue eyes piercing her with so much need to be with how much he wanted her and that just made him so beautiful. She pulled him closer and kissed him again.

He broke the kiss and Hanna is slightly pouting, he thought about jumping gun on this one, "do you want to get out of here?"

She bit her lips sexily and smiled, "thought you'd never ask."

He held her hands and lead her to the elevator where they started kissing heavily again. His hands running up and down her back, they are almost running by the time they heard the ding and the door opened.

###############################

Hurried knock on the door got Caleb's heart pounding really fast, but the person on the other side identified themselves as Emily and Aria. He opened the door and saw two familiar faces. Hanna apparently is out of reach and her mother said that she is out in town, the girl needed a breather no one can contest that.

"Hey, before you say anything, Em and I found something." Aria had folders of paper in the table.

"What's this?" Caleb asked while picking up the top one.

"We've been digging about 'baby sister' and it turned out she got out of Radley about seven years ago a few months after Alison disappeared. We still have not found luck on her identity because it's a sealed file." Emily said.

"Okay, I found something too." Caleb took his laptop and showed the video to the girls and they both gasped when they saw Noel on the screen. Caleb tried to explain the complexities of this network breach but the two girls are glued on screen with their jaws hanging. "I swear, I'm going to kill him if I saw him again."

"Easy there, tiger. But this will not stand in court even if we can point the money trail to him. It will also compromise you since you took this information illegally." Aria said while her thick eyebrows are knitted.

"I really wish Spencer is here, she can figure this out if she's here." Emily said while tapping her index finger into the table.

"Spencer, that's it. What is that one thing AD wants, it's Spencer, we let AD come to us." Aria suggested.

"No." Caleb said firmly, "I will not allow Spencer to be a pawn on this." He remembered what happened to Hanna the last time this kind of idea is brought up and he is not going to let that happen to Spencer specially now.

Aria broke a smile on her face, she took the tv remote turned on the volume really loud just to make sure if anyone is listening that they will not get anything "we will get AD a Spencer?" She whispered softly, and that definitely caught his attention, his hands signed her to go on, "we have something now but AD doesn't."

"How will AD know that?" Caleb is still not 100% solve on this plan.

"Hanna doesn't know yet but yes, AD will come to us." Emily retorted.

#####################

Caleb met up with Senator Veronica Hastings the next day. She is a bit apprehensive about his plan but if it works, Spencer can finally go home. She took her phone and called Agent Derek Lane who met up with Caleb in a public park near the Hasting's house.

As the officer walked away, Caleb decided to linger a little longer in the park bench. A few months ago during AD's first wave of attacks, and Yvonne is dragged through this whole mess Toby punched him in the face. He remembered how Spencer is trying to nurse his bleeding nose back then, he smiled alone. It pinched him in the heart that it is the same spot where he looked in her eyes and touched her face and promised he will never let anyone hurt her. Yes, Spencer is not hurt by anyone but himself.

I know you are far away, but I promise you this time, I will get this right. I will get you back, just hang in there, his silent thought is focused on one thing, getting her back safe.

############

The morning sun woke Hanna Marin up, her head is pounding like crazy. It's been a while since she had that many drinks but a smile is on her face, on what happened in that same bed the night before but she's all alone in bed. She scanned the Radley suite, no sign of Travis, she pulled the blanket and covered her naked body as she made her way to the washroom.

Her make-up is all over the place, and she looks as bad as she felt. She kept thinking about where is Travis as she is brushing her teeth with hotel issued toiletries? He didn't even call her or wake her up to tell her he's going, who does that? She stepped in the shower and continued with her disappointing thoughts on the after events of last night. Being with Travis, her almost boyfriend in highschool unleashed something wild in Hanna Marin the night before but now he just left just like that, what a jerk, she thought.

She took one of the robes on the closet and started drying her hair, when she heard someone is in the room, probably housekeeping since it's almost 9am.

Hanna stepped out of the bathroom and a smile broke in her pretty face, Travis is holding two pumpkin spiced latte.

"Good morning Han, I figured you still like this," he said while passing the cup to her.

The aroma filled the room and so as her heart; it's weird that he remembers random stuff like that but something touching indeed.

"Thank you, I thought you left me here." She said sheepishly as she took a sip of her latte.

He looked at her and he smiled. He stepped closer to her and kissed her forehead. "Back then I met a beautiful girl named Hanna Marin, I let her go just as easy and I realized that's a mistake, I should have fought for her back then but since I figured if last night the universe thrown another chance on my direction and I don't plan on letting you slip away this time. But not that I'm complaining about last night because I have more where it came from." He took Hanna's free hand and looked at her pretty face, "I also wanted to ask you out on a date, like proper dinner because you deserve that." His thumb is caressing her cheek and his eyes are focus on her but also getting darker again with desire.

"But we already did it, you know."

"Yes," Travis ran his fingers in her wet hair, "but I also want to spend more time getting to know you and making you laugh, hopefully less drunk laugh."

Hanna giggled and thought about how she doesn't care much about laughing out loud when she's a little drunk and given the amount of alcohol she consumed last night, "Now I'm embarrassed about my drunk personality."

"Drunk Hanna is like my second favorite Hanna." Travis put his hands on the small of her back and drew her closer, "Hanna, I want to ask you out for a proper date tonight?" He turned the cup that she's holding and she read that instead of her name, it has two boxes. Yes and No.

"Yes, of course it's a yes." She felt silly about how cheesy this is but every once in a while we all deserved some cheesiness in our lives. He kissed her and she felt her knees go wobbly, "wait, what's your favorite Hanna?"

He ran his thumb again on her cheeks, "This Hanna, I will call it, the morning after Hanna."

"But I'm a little hang over, no make-up with wet hair." She felt vulnerable without her glam arsenal but Travis seemed unfazed by this.

"Hanna, you are an amazing person and this is the most beautiful I've ever saw you and I didn't even thought that's even possible."

There is that feeling of hot goo in the heart of Hanna that wanted to explode when she heard Travis talked about her that way. She smiled and placed the latte cup on the bedside table. She cupped his face and kissed him which he gladly responded. She lead him back to bed and Hanna let the robe fell on the carpet before she joined him.

#########

Security personnel swarm the Hastings mansion again the past couple of days, rumor has it that Spencer Hastings will come home anytime now but just to make sure that she's safe, security measures will be imposed. No one will be allowed to go to the barn and new motion sensitive CCTV that's monitored 24/7. A black SUV pulled over the driveway sometime after midnight on the fourth night. A woman in hoodie came out and walked hastily towards the barn. Doors are locked and the security system is activated that night.

########################

Emily is on the phone with Aria. She called Hanna earlier that day to ask about the trail on AD but it's a dead end. The raven haired beauty is still on the phone when a perky Hanna Marin walked into the Brew, "hi Emily, sorry I'm late." She had a brief rendezvous at the Radley with Travis earlier that day and everyday for the past five days.

"She's here, I will call you back," she said on the phone, "you want anything?" She asked while taking her coffee and croissant on the counter.

"Who are you talking to? And why are you so tensed?" She inquired then shifted her focus on her red fingernails.

"Aria just told me, she's back, she's back home." She said almost in a whisper.

"Who is back?" Hanna said loudly.

"Shhh, Spencer is back."

"Spencer is back!" Hanna said loudly that people in the Brew looked in their direction then went on their business. It's very typical of her as expected.

"Keep your voice down."

She pulled Emily in a corner couch, "I thought she's on Marshal protection now?

"She was, well Aria said that since no threat has happened in almost a month, they decided to get her home since she's pregnant and who really wanted to be pregnant and alone?" Emily said while pouring milk on her coffee.

"Does he, I mean Caleb knows?"

"Hanna, don't do that to yourself."

She's quick to response, "actually Em, I'm quite okay with it already. We will all have curveball one time or the other, but maybe it's true when one door closes, another one will open." She smiled and thought about how the past weeks with Travis Hobbs have been going better than she expected. It's like rediscovering something and wanting to continue making great things happen with him. She wanted to tell Emily about how they've been spending a lot of time together and she already cooked him dinner the night before, "are you going to see her?"

"I don't know, if I get pass security, why not but I have classes."

"Fine, I'll go." She stood up and mentally prepared herself. Spencer might still hate her, she thought but at least now she can apologized to her and explain her lapses as a friend. She liked the promising start she now have with Travis Hobbs and just one more thing to fix and all will be well again.

The news of Spencer s going back to town is not something that had a hush-hush reception. It happens when your attempted kidnapping resulting to serious injuries with one of your bodyguards made it to the 6'oclock news but of course, she is still the senator's daughter.

The camp of Senator Hasting refuse to give comment on the matter and told the news reporter that it is a private matter and due to security concerns she cannot talk about her daughter, a private citizen.

Hanna pulled over the busy driveway and there is no way to get into the front door with security checking every one that gets in and out of there but she's not an ordinary visitor. She knew how to get to the barn without going to the main gate. She eyed the other big house in closest proximity to the Hastings, the DiLaurentis.

It's easier that she thought, she just walked in there, Allison and Jason are not home that time but she just passed through the property and walked casually. Given that Allison have been abducted, her mother getting murdered, how can they still be so lax about security, get a dog a least, she thought.

She saw the backdoor of the barn. Hanna really knows how to get around security. She doesn't want to cause any alarm that security might hear her, so she went and turned the doorknob. It's unlocked; she could feel her heartbeats going tachycardia by the second. She thought about how Spencer might still hate her what if she yell at her for contributing to the demise of her relationship with Caleb? Hormones can get women do weird stuff and Spencer does not go low when she's mad. But this is something that she has to do. Apologize and Explain.

Hanna turned the knob and gently pushed the door, alarm went on. It's deafening noise that reminded her of the dollhouse. And she saw her, tall long dark curls. Hanna is confused on what she has to say to her, it's like seeing a ghost. Confusion is interrupted by three security men that barge on the front door of the barn.

"It's okay, it's just Hanna." And the security guards nodded and left the two women in the barn.

Hanna still has not recovered from her shock, "Uh, I er," her mind freeze with what to say or ask first, she cannot think faster and she just made weird noises. She can't help but stare at her. She's not even sure if her jaws are hanging from her mouth.

"Okay, you may seem confuse, close the door and we will talk." She walk across the room to get to the stereo and started playing loud music.

Hanna sat in a stool in the Hastings barn kitchen. All the windows are well covered and room is very cold for her comfort. She felt claustrophobic in this kind of places, very dollhouse like. She shifted her attention to her wearing a loose cardigan cover-up, aubergine colored blouse and black leggings, she has her back turn on Hanna and she's making tea.

Teacups are pushed in her directions; she's watching the light green color seeped through the clear water. Then she focused back to her when she sat on a stool at the opposite side of the table.

"If you have questions and concerns, now is really a good time to ask."

Hanna took a deep breath, "First, all of these, what is happening?"


	7. Chapter 7

At around 12am the third shift of guards took over the Hastings gate. And on the adjacent house of the DiLaurentis is an empty house. Three people wearing dark hoodies stealthily sneaked into the house and opened their bags. Someone wanted to know if it's true that Spencer is back in the barn. One person opened the computer and some software. It tapped the security alarm in the Hastings barn. Another person took a device that picks up body heat like infrared. It is positive someone is in the barn. If they can do it right, they can be in and out of the barn in five minutes. They can take the chloroform unconscious subject into the van parked a couple of meters away and none of the guards will now since they will tamper the CCTV and alarm.

But as of the moment they will observe first but they should hit as soon as possible before they suspect anything. Try to see any pattern of movements earlier that day one of the girls visited the Barn and left after an hour. So far the food is brought by security from the main house, that's harder to catch.

Then at the screen it toggled to a new dollhouse near the forest in Ravenswood. It's an old bomb shelter, but now it turned in a nursery. Playing with dolls in the dollhouse is fun but having a baby is another level of fun. A doll with a baby is something that is exciting, it will put the game in a whole new level.

The system in the barn is now deactivated and to make sure that the attention will be diverted, they plan to put false sound the alarm on the other end of the garden just to make sure that even if there will be commotion in the barn, worst case scenario no one can go rescue Spencer.

The heat register on the screen seems like she's already in bed. She's been in bed early, maybe hormones does change people, even Spencer.

They will take her, fast and no one will ever know until tomorrow that the precious Spencer will be back in the dollhouse like before.

One of them, the strongest among them easily got the door opened without any sound, it's not like it is the first time. No alarm sounded as expected. Soundlessly, he navigated the darkness in the barn. She's in the bed with a comforter covering her body up to her neck. She's facing the opposite side, which is better since she it would be better if she woke up and fight, it's harder to do it on your back. Her hair is spread on her back, she's still keeping it long all these time. A handkerchief douched with chloroform is on the hand of this person as it steps closer to the bed.

One swift motion, it took her by surprise. She tried fighting it but nothing, her eyes opened at the person attacking her in the dark, the pungent smell of chloroform is making her dizzy. She tried to scream but the wet cloth suffocated her more, she's scared that something is really going wrong with this plan, maybe they have not thought this through. And started relaxing, her body stopped fighting and paralysis took over her. She could feel that she's being lifted out of the bed and all she wanted to do now is sleep, maybe all this nightmare will go away when she wakes up next day. But just as all hope left her body, something happened when the abductor pulled the knob from the backdoor, deafening alarm echoed all across the Hastings yard. The barn door autolocked trapping them inside, and just like that five uniformed security personnel barged in the door.

"Freeze!" they shouted, "do not make sudden movement and we will shoot."

He figured there is no fighting this, there is no chance that he will win this. He's thinking fast but he is not sure if he wanted to die that night. Sirens seems to be coming nearer to the Hasting's compound.

"Put her down gently," she's half unconscious and "unload any weapons. Keep your hands where we can see it, don't be stupid kid, we will shoot!" said the oldest of the personnel in the barn.

No one is moving, he will not survive a standoff with these men. He looked at the woman in laying on his foot now and came up with a realization, he laughed at himself, so they won this one.

He held his hands above his head. As sirens come nearer, Officer Toby Cavanaugh moved over, handcuffed him and told him his Miranda rights. A few moments later he could also hear Jena Marshall across the lawn screaming, the sounds that she's making is inaudible to him now. Fine, they got them but eventually 'she' will find a new soldier to do the deeds for her.

As the events are unfolding in their lawn and she is done talking to the medics that assured the senator the patient in the barn is alright, just a little dizzy but she will recover and policemen will escort the ambulance to a hospital in Philly, Senator Veronica Hastings called the number that she promised she will update immediately once everything is settled and everyone is safe. She's checking the clock, it's past 1am, maybe he is still awake.

"They got him, come to the house now, you are right."

"I'm there, just give me 10 minutes."

Caleb called Aria, Emily and Hanna even if he is not sure if she heard her since there's loud music on the background when he got her on the line. All three of them almost pulled the same time in the Hasting's driveway, Aria and Emily are holding hands when they saw Jena Marshall handcuffed and being guided at the back of the police mobile.

And then Caleb saw him, Noel Khan. He has two officers holding him. They made eye contact and instantly all the anger that he never felt before just exploded in his head. He is going to kill this man for hurting Hanna and threatening Spencer and their child. He is breathing heavily he is moving faster towards Noel's direction. But Aria and Emily stopped him.

"Caleb, don't do it, Spencer needs you right now." Emily said still tugging his shirt.

It's almost over he thought. Maybe just maybe, he can ask the Hastings couple something that he promised himself once they caught this person trying to hurt Spencer. He wanted to see her.

The three on them are invited to the house. Hanna arrived in the scene shortly after obviously from clubbing with her constant date in tow, she said she's above the legal limit of alcohol to drive. The two girls gushed over the fact that Hanna is dating Travis, pseudo ex-boyfriend in high school who is now a design engineer for an Italian brand super car race franchise. The two of them laughed and is not ashamed of being touchy even if there are people around, but given the emotional turmoil she's been through the past few months no one will make a big deal out of it.

Veronica walked into the room with obviously her hair unmade, a striking contrast from the dainty dressed senator most days of the week. That time Veronica is not a senator but Spencer's mother, who will do anything to make sure her baby can get home safely.

"Girls, I'd like to thank you for doing this for Spencer, this would have not been possible without your help" Veronica said and her voice is shaking.

"This one is for Spencer." Hanna said smiling, she has a chill vibe the past few days and it has something to do with the guy from highschool that has his hands around her waist and later on she will kissed goodnight before she sleep.

"We've been through so much together, just like you we want to see Spencer back home too." Emily said while squeezing Aria's small hands.

"Is Officer Ana Clark, okay?" Hanna asked her voice is full of concern with the woman she saw in the barn the day before, when she thought she's going to see Spencer but got the surprise of a lifetime when another woman faced her, not Spencer but she could have sworn they could be cousins although she has to admit Spencer had nicer boobs.

"Yes, she's all right, just some workups in the hospital since just like anyone she got dizzy with chloroform inhalation." Veronica said.

"And I just want Spencer back so I can see the baby, I call godmother!" Aria said loudly.

They all laughed at what Aria did, it's been a long time since laughter ever resonated on the kitchen of the Hastings mansion. And after a few minutes, Hanna excused herself and her date. Then Aria and Emily said they have to go home too. Caleb has something he needed to ask the matriarch of the Hastings family.

Somehow it seems like catching Noel Kahn aka AD or whatever seems easier than what he wants from the Hastings.

"Veronica, I have to ask you something. I know I'm not exactly boyfriend of the year and there is a possibility Spencer don't even want to see me anymore, but I" a tear fell from Caleb's eye.

"Okay. You earned that, Caleb and thank you for everything and for not giving up on Spencer."

Before anyone of them can talk, Agent Derek Lane walked in the kitchen. The senator thanked him and asked if it's possible for Caleb now to see Spencer, he did not have to ask her to figure it out. He said, he doesn't see anything wrong with it since the immediate threat is now contained. And since Caleb helped in this case, Agent Derek Lane offered him to fly with the rest of the team on private plane since everyone wanted to go home as soon as possible. No time to get clothes cabin in, since they have to be in a hangar in Philly the next hour and fly out of state.

Caleb checked his watch, it's 5:45am when they touch down to the small airport. After disembarking, he looked for the dark SUV that will take him to the town where Spencer have been living the almost 30 days. It's a two hour drive according to the driver. He cannot contain his excitement and at the same time fear of her resentment towards him. If she gets mad, he will take it like a man but she's always been the kind one and he's hoping that he kindness will surpass whatever disappointed he brought upon her the past four months post break up.

He becomes very aware now of his clothes black denims, blue superhero t-shirt, old red hoodie and well at least the loafers she got him when they are still in DC, not really the kind of dress up that will impress Spencer Hastings, he thought but he can't worry about it now. He just needs to see her, if he gets lucky touch her again but all in his heart he just misses having his Spencer around on a Sunday morning. He's rehearsing how he will apologize to her and tell her what he should have told her when he's still her boyfriend. Caleb is not sure if Spencer would want to hear it but he has to try.

The SUV pulled over the agency building in Mapleton a little over 8am. The driver told him that Spencer now goes by the name Olivia Alexander. The drivers let him in at the lobby and introduce him to the concierge.

"Miss Alexander left for the market half an hour ago but usually she's back before lunch." The man in the counter explained.

Caleb realized that he has not eaten anything in a while, he's too nervous to do so but somehow he could hear his stomach grumbling. Across the building he noticed a breakfast café and maybe he will catch Spencer on her way back to the building. Fear, excitement, tiredness and hunger but above all the need to be with Spencer is the strongest.

He sat at window of the 50's inspired breakfast café where he ordered coffee and pancakes. His thoughts are racing on what he will tell her if he sees her again.

On his fourth bite something passed by his peripheral vision and he knew that his heart stopped for a moment. A brunette wearing a cream colored knitted paneled baby doll dress and a dark denim jacket, her hair is in loose ponytail. He hurriedly took money from his wallet and left it on the table and he realized when he got out of the café that he lost her. But somehow she's just here, he walked ten more steps and he saw her, she has her back on him and she's talking to the old woman selling roses.

Caleb Rivers is lost for words when now he is just 5 feet away from Spencer Hastings. He could have sworn he could smell her berry scents in her hair in the middle of the dozens and dozens of roses. She never looked more beautiful that moment, her unassuming grace is captivating.


	8. Chapter 8

"I will take a dozen of these, they smell really nice," Spencer said while putting the flowers near her face.

He still there standing, transfix at the sight of her, she took his breath away that moment. Spencer Hastings is the most beautiful woman in the eyes of Caleb Rivers.

Spencer felt something is odd, like someone have been watching her. She felt panicked at first but she knew that she's just a few steps away from the safe house. And then she turned and saw Caleb, looking at her. He is not moving, he's just looking at her and she noticed that he started tearing up. Maybe it's the hormone messing up with her feeling but she started crying too, just that moment Caleb took hurried steps towards Spencer and hugged her. They sobbed together for a while, like things that Caleb wanted to tell her has to wait for later. He would like to savor the moment that he finally get to have Spencer back in his arms and how tightly Spencer is holding him, he knew she feels the same way. It's everything he imagined it would be and more, the smell of her hair and softness of her hands and the kindness of her eyes.

He ran his fingers on her hair and looked her in the eyes, he touched the contours of her beautiful face and in the middle of the Sunday roses, Caleb kissed Spencer and she dropped her shopping bag as she ran her hands on the back of his head. Everything will be alright from here on, she thought. Everything else is just noise in the background. Just as the public display of affection is getting heated, Caleb left something moves, like a small kick in his nuts.

Caleb pulled away from the kiss and seems like Spencer knew what startled him.

"She's on 22nd week and started kicking a lot, the doctor said it's normal, hope that did not freak you out."

"So a baby girl, huh?" Spencer nodded and he smiled at her, he kissed her in the forehead and squatted in front of her abdomen, "hi, okay, I deserve that, I'm sorry being a jerk, for not being around for you and your mommy but it will not happen again. I will take care of you and mommy from here on, I'm your dad and I'm happy to finally meet you." Caleb kissed her abdomen.

"Young love, you two are too beautiful, you will make very beautiful children, Miss" the old woman said while handling them the roses Spencer bought earlier.

Caleb took the roses from the vendor and picked up the bags Spencer dropped on the floor. Spencer wiped the tears off her eyes and she also did the same to Caleb, "don't cry anymore, maybe things are going to be alright. Would you like to come upstairs, it's not much but I can fix you something to eat." She said while pulling his hands.

"Spencer, wait," he gently tugged her hand and she looked back to him, "I'm sorry for being a jerk, for not being there and for leaving you before. I never realized on time that I'm a walking shell of a person without you, I'm sorry I that it's too late for me to realized that I love you, that I only want to be with you. Since that morning in Madrid, I love you and I've always been yours."

She never thought that this moment will actually come, yes, she's hurt the past few months but all are background noises now. They really are going to be a family now. She smiled at him, "Caleb Rivers, I'm yours, for always." And he kissed her again.

Spencer felt surreal about being near Caleb again. He lost some weight and it seemed like Caleb has not seen a hairstylist in the past few months but not that she is complaining about it. She cannot explain the happiness that filled her heart as he held her hand when they walked the halls towards the unit. She started scrambling her purse for the keycard and then she felt his thumb ran in the cleft in her chin, she looked up to him, his face moved a little closer to her and his lips found hers. She felt butterflies on her stomach.

"I've always wanted to do that back when we are in DC," he said and she laughed at the thought that they are actually thinking about the same thing the whole time.

She opened the door, "it's not much but it's safer so far."

He looked around the small unit that has been housing Spencer and their child. Considering that Spencer grew up in insanely comfortable lifestyle, he saw that she will never complain about this small and constricting living situation if it means making sure that their child is safe. He placed the flowers and shopping bag in the kitchen counter and he settled on the one of the stool in the island and watched Spencer moved around.

"What kind of breakfast would you like to eat?" She said while her back on him and scanning her refrigerator for choices.

He stood up and walked behind her, Caleb started to push aside hair from her neck and he started kissing her nape and in between breaths, "I don't know, actually you don't have to," he pulled her so that she's facing him again. He traced the curves of her jaws and kissed her again with so much passion that he has been keeping inside for the past few months and he just want to let her know how strongly he feels about her. Caleb gently pulled away and stared at Spencer again, "I love you Spence, I'm sorry for hurting you, for not fighting for us and for letting you slip away like that, and for not letting you know how much I love you when that's all I should have been doing."

"Caleb, I love you, let's just move past that, okay? I'm pregnant, I can't stress this out too much but I'm not really allowed to have high levels of anxiety." She said while smiling at him and drawing him again into a kiss.

He has his hand on her waist and her hands are anchored at the back of his head. Caleb pulled from this kiss, "I can tell Spencer Hastings that you really missed me." She shot one eyebrow up because he is wearing that conceited look in his face, "we've been together again 30 minutes and you've been kissing me for all the 24 minutes of those."

"Okay, now I won't anymore." She childishly pouted.

Caleb grinned with her expected reaction, "I know you won't because of two things, one I will not let you since you will be stuck with me for the rest of your life and second, you know you want me."

Sometimes, his arrogance is annoying but it's true she cannot imagine herself kissing anyone ever again but him for the rest of her life.

"Wait I still have to make food for you." She said in between kisses.

"I'm not really thinking about breakfast now." He said while kissing her throat and his hands roaming around her backside.

She smiled at him and she knew that they are thinking about the same thing. As she thought before, this is what she wanted for as long as her knew she's inlove with him. Their kissing intensified and he hoisted her at his waist and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he moved towards her bed.

The next hour is a blur, but Spencer knew that moment what happiness is all about, everything from A to the Rosewood drama are simply background noises. She missed Caleb and she made him feel that in every kiss, every touch of their skin. He made sure to be careful given her condition, but there is no stopping in letting Spencer know he showed her how much he loved her and that everything about her is desirable and beautiful. The two of them rode in the waves of their desires.

After the wave has subsided, Spencer rested her head on the space between his arms and shoulders.

"How are the girls? Spencer asked.

"They are okay trying to figure out the identity of the third person that got away."

"Wait, what?" Spencer sat up quickly and realized that she's not wearing anything, she pulled the sheets to cover her exposed body parts. She's not shy being naked around him, but of course not during normal conversation she wants to exposed every body part to him, she likes that he gets excited seeing her in her raw self at the proper time.

"Well its Jenna and Noel all along" Caleb said and he is trying to filter the parts of the story that may cause anxiety to Spencer, "right now they are in jail and the authorities are trying to figure out the third person of their group."

"But are the girls safe?" Even of Spencer is away from her best friends there is not a day that passed that she doesn't find them in her thoughts. She pulled from the corner of the bed the blue shirt that Caleb took off earlier and put on.

"Yes for now." He said while pulling her back to his arms.

"'I'm sorry I have to ask, how about Hanna? Is she okay with 'us'?" It's another concern that she worries about, she cannot really move forward with Caleb if Hanna still has issue over them.

"Yes, we've talked about it. I've caused her so much pain by instead of being honest with her about my feelings for you, I resorted to ignoring her and keeping distant which frustrates her. I know I'm an asshole and I told her I'm sorry about how I treated her and how I misinterpreted my feelings." Caleb still feels guilty about causing Hanna such pain but he knew that what they had ended a long time ago. "I guess that's what I should have done before when you and I started seeing each other, I should have told her too not just you. It would have made things a lot easier for us."

Spencer still has so much love in her heart for Hanna and she knew that pain that her friend felt. She has seen all high school how much Hanna loved Caleb. And she can't blame her for the reaction she had when she and Caleb started shacking up in the barn. "I'm so sorry to hear about that."

"But she's doing better actually, her business venture is picking up and she started seeing this guy from your old high school."

"High school?" Spencer retorted quizzically.

"Travis, something, he's an engineer now and lives in Europe and Hanna said they bumped into each other clubbing almost a week ago she said and the two are inseparable."

"I remember him he's the guy that saved Hanna and her mom from possible jail time during Wilden murder case." Sometimes the memory of A seemed like a thousand years ago and then Spencer would remember the innocent people dragged into the mess and she just feels so much frustration and helplessness.

"For what it's worth, I think he adores Hanna even before and he really is that one guy that never disappointed her."

"I just wanted her to be happy." Spencer said with all honesty and she knew that she will give a lot to make sure that Hanna is okay.

"She is." Caleb kissed her in the forehead. "Would you like me to get you something to eat?"

"No, I'm a little sleepy. Your baby girl is a sleepy head like you; she wants us to nap all the time."

Spencer is sure that she slept with smile on her lips. For the past couple of month her sadness most of the time lulled her to sleep land but now that Caleb is back, she couldn't ask for more. They will figure out who that third person is, but as of now she just wanted to savor the moment of surreal happiness in a bubble with the love of her life.

She woke up upon feeling that the baby is moving in her stomach which is not unusual but she also heard Caleb talking. She thought that he has someone on the phone but she also felt that he is lightly touching her tummy. She listened for a while, trying to figure out who Caleb talking to.

"Well, I like spaghetti and burrito but only the good kind like the ones in the Village in New York, and maybe when you're old enough we can eat gelato and éclair in this café near my apartment. " He is running his fingers in her stomach. "Probably, we won't be living there anymore because your mom has the nicer DC apartment but we will go camping on a summer and there's this jog path we can run there on a weekend, but I don't know what age do you babies usually can run on a jog path? I will get you your first pink bike and yeah you're not allowed to date until you're 30." Their baby just kicked and Caleb's hand is in her stomach, he's giggling, "yes baby, high five."

Spencer can't help herself but give out a chuckle. "Why are you talking our daughter about dating when she's not even crossed third trimester?" She opened her eyes. Caleb is on his stomach and his right hand is on her tummy.

"Hello, you're awake." He crawled in towards her and hugged Spencer. "Okay, our daughter can date, 29 that's my final say." And the couple laughed together.

"I hope she'll end up looking like you, girl version. Between the two of us you're the one with the perfect nose, jaws and eyes." Spencer used to think before that Caleb is the physically the perfect specimen of a guy, he is extremely cute.

"But I love your eyes too, they're so pretty and you are beautiful and probably you are the smartest person I know. I'm sure that our daughter will be tall, with raven locks, very intelligent and insanely good looking like her parents." Spencer laughed at Caleb, "Seriously Spence, we have premium genetic material."

"Speaking of genetics, our daughter will probably look like the father and will get mother's intelligence; it's the odds of most first born." Spencer loved the geek out conversation that they usually have even before.

"Spence, did we just created a perfect specimen of a human being?" Caleb laughed at his own words, "I just hope that I can figure out this AD thing and make it go away because I don't want us to raise our child with fear that someone is always out there to get her." The reality of them being a parent is starting to sink in and with the excitement of seeing their daughter is his fear that he will not be able to solve this on time.

"I know, we will figure it out," Spencer gushed, "would you like me to get you anything?" She checked her watch, "it's almost 3pm. Let's get out of bed and eat." She moved out of bed and Caleb had his hand on the small of her back when they moved to the kitchen.

##############

Spencer and Caleb are allowed to move back to DC three weeks after Jena and Noel are arrested. The Marshals informed them that as of the moment there have been no AD activity observed no immediate threat, the account belonging to 'baby sister' is being investigated but it has lawyers after lawyers trying to keep it sealed. But to be on the safe side, they are still asked to watch out for anything suspicious. Since it's Spencer that has the bigger apartment, they will both stay there for now and will just move after the baby is born. Caleb is still doing most of his consulting offsite so it gave him the liberty to spend more time with Spencer.

The move is as seamless as they both imagined since they had practiced living together back in Rosewood. Although Caleb is surprised that Spencer will have mood swings which the OB told him is normal since the hormone is acting up on her. It's not all bad but one time Spencer insisted that she cannot stand anything with cinnamon on it and Caleb ended up eating a whole apple pie in the hallway since he doesn't want to waste food and upset the pregnant girlfriend. And later on she will have weird cravings like breakfast food in the middle of the night. But the obedient boyfriend is not complaining.

Spencer is trying her best to be a domestic goddess the past few months, she would do the laundry and learned how to cook and bake by watching demonstrations online, although it is Caleb that have to deal with the kitchen mess but all for love. On weekends they would usually shop for baby stuff.

Caleb had a long day on a Wednesday but he is trying to take as many jobs as possible since in a few weeks Spencer is due to give birth and he wanted to spend time helping her out for a few weeks.

He opened the door of their apartment and the smell of amazing roast greeted him.

"Spence?" He called out.

"In the kitchen," she answered.

"Hi, babe and baby, I got you your favorite éclair" He has been calling her that for the past couple of months but she's beginning to warm up to the idea of term of endearment. "That's smells good, what are we having?"

"Wow thanks" she took the confectioners box from him, "hey, you look tired" She worries about him sometimes and she ran her hands on his hair, "go freshen up and I'll set dinner, we're having pot roast."

"Do you need help?" He kissed her forehead.

"No, go ahead, it's just plates, I will manage" She smiled at him.

Caleb told her how his day went, she listened intently. She went to the doctor earlier that day and she's told that the baby is in full term due less than next two weeks.

After cleaning up in the kitchen the couple retreated back to their bedroom.

"Spence, how's the check up today? Sorry I can't be there." He reached out for her hands and kissed her fingers.

"The baby is almost in full term now, 36 5/7 weeks and baby is due in the next week or so, it's just a waiting game in the next few days."

"Have we decided to name her?" He is smiling so cute now and it's the kind of smile that leaves a hot goo on her stomach all the time.

"I'm thinking about naming her after the girls, I just have not found the right combination, yet." She ran her fingers in his hair.

"Spencer, I still worry about AD what if that person comes back and take our daughter. We are still not close in catching this person."

"I don't know Caleb, I know it should scare me but I know we will handle it well. I will do anything and everything to protect not just our daughter but you too but I will also refuse to stop living because some psycho out there is out to get us. This is the happiest that I've even been in my life and I want to live and experience every second of this, of us together."

Ever since she took him back, Caleb never let a day pass without letting Spencer knows how much he loves her. Spending time with her, is always the acme of his day even before he started dating her. Living with her is not always perfect but he likes the way she makes him feel loved and cared for, and now that they are expecting he can't even wait to start their life together. Holding her before he sleeps and seeing her first thing in the morning is enough to drive him to work harder in his job and figure this AD thing.

"Spence, I have to ask you something." He'd wanted to ask her this ever since.

"Shoot."

"When was the first time you knew you had feelings for me?"

"Really?" She said sarcastically, but she could see that Caleb is really expecting her to answer, "okay, that day in Retiro, when we got back in your place and you were telling me that you're going to Morocco, it took me all the will power not to say yes. I just thought it's inappropriate given you just broke up with Hanna and that I knew I thought about kissing you all day." She laughed a little knowing how much things have changed since then.

"Yeah, I remember that night we went back to my place, you were wearing a skimpy dress and it's really hard not to look especially when you have your back on me and opened the window, I admit I checked out your butt" he laughed, "I'm like damn I'll hit that now" he laughed even more at his silly thoughts and she playfully punched him in the arm, "and when I asked you to come to Morocco with me, I know I will cross the line and I'm not so sure we are ready then, but there are a lot of DC moments that I thought about my feelings for you. I never realized how much I loved you until you walked out of my life and I don't want to live another day without you." He kissed her forehead and inhaled the berry scent of her hair. "I love you, Spence."

"So you liked me even before and you always walked around in my apartment wearing nothing but boxer shorts?" She laughed, "way to impress me Rivers."

"I don't ever remember you complaining about it but it make sense now..." He is wearing his smug smile again.

"What makes sense?" her left eyebrows are up.

"You wear a lot of short nightie around me but I'm just chill and enjoying the view."

"Seriously?"

"You subconsciously wanted to be naked around me even before." He likes teasing her like this because it annoys her that he's telling the truth about looking back how obvious she likes him.

Spencer looked into her boyfriend's beautiful face, his eyes, his nose and his lips that felt like a piece of magic when it's pressed against her. She just want to keep things easy and uncomplicated, every day spent with Caleb is another day to her happy ever after and no AD can take that away from her. "I love you." And just that moment Spencer tasted a piece of magic in her lips.


	9. Chapter 9

She's lurking again in the shadow of the apartment building in DC. She watched as Caleb's car left the building. She's been counting too, Spencer is due to give birth anytime this week. And she knew she's smart and will outsmart everyone, including the police, Mona, Charlotte or the brainy Spencer Hastings. She knew how to play her game too good that she holds enough leverage at Noel and Jena would rather rot in jail than rat her out.

She's excited to see the baby, her Spencer doll is going to have a baby. And they can never stop her from getting what she wants. The baby will stay in her dollhouse, she lost interest in Charlotte's old dolls, Charlotte let her play with them every now and then but she want a doll of her own. Spencer's daughter will be perfect.

She managed to open the front lock of the building door. She knew that Spencer is home and Caleb will not be back for a couple more hours, and it is his fault this time he should have stayed but he is complacent, Spencer is complacent and that is their fault.

She is holding the scarf with chloroform, classic move and it works most of the time. This is her chance to get the baby, even if she has to split open Spencer's abdomen, she is not leaving without the baby.

She knocked on the door and she heard Spencer speaking, "Caleb I told you I'm still okay I will call you if the contractions are stronger." And the door swung open.

Spencer is bewildered to see her in her doorstep, "Leslie, what are you doing here? I thought you're Cal" she did not have a chance to finish her sentence.

She lounged into Spencer taking her by surprise and the wet scarf huffed by chloroform shoved into Spencer's face. Spencer tried fighting but the chemical took her energy away.

When Leslie Stone is sure that Spencer is knocked off, she pulled her inside and closed the door. She took a metal handcuff and chained the unconscious pregnant woman in the radiator at the corner.

She took her headphones and listened to an old familiar voice. A voice recording of one of Bethany Young's sessions when they are still in Radley. Leslie considered this as the most important thing in her life, she would listen to the hour long recordings over and over again before doing anything, it is as if Bethany is still here. Hearing her voice and the more she listens that more she thinks she's finding signs on what to do. No one understands Bethany like Leslie. She loved Charlotte too but she has Allison. But with Bethany, Leslie is always number one. Bethany is like an older sister, a family she never really had and she knew that Bethany loved her too until Bethany wanted to play with Allison too which Charlotte strongly opposed and this lead to their altercation.

The consequence of that altercation is Bethany is put in isolation, she is not allowed to see little sister Leslie anymore. Leslie pleaded for a time with Bethany but the Radley personnel refused. Leslie missed Bethany and she did not even have a time to say goodbye to Bethany when she's discharged from the institution.

One day news came to her that Bethany went missing and then her body is found years later, positively identified. All these years she thought she just ran away to Caribbean and forged a new identity but no, she died and no one is to blame for what happened to Bethany other than Charlotte and Allison.

She plotted her revenge, she looked for Charlotte and got her trust her, she plays with her dolls, she let Leslie play too but she will always be number 2, Charlotte will never love her the way she does Allison. One day, Leslie thought, when Charlotte is not looking she will avenge the dead of Bethany. And she had the chance when she met up with her at the church on the night that she got out of the hospital. She will avenge not just to Charlotte but to everyone she loved including her dolls.

She sat in the couch and took her knife and listened to Bethany's recordings again.

"I want to see baby sister, where is she? Charlotte is such a liar a manipulative bitch, she set this up. She is selfish and doesn't want to share Allison and she doesn't want me to play with her dolls." Bethany started screaming, "Please let me see baby sister, I promise to be good, please…" Leslie tears up every time she hears Bethany looking for her, pleading to the Radley people to let her see baby sister Leslie Stone.

#############

Caleb waited in the front driveway of his office building, he is waiting for Aria and Emily. He called them up earlier that day before he left for work. Spencer had been having contractions already but refuses to the hospital, she reasoned that it's not regular intervals yet and she doesn't feel any pain yet. He doesn't want to leave the apartment that day but she insisted that she will call him if there's anything wrong. He is not comfortable about the idea of leaving her all alone but he doesn't want to pick up a fight with her and Spencer Hastings can be stubborn.

He picked up his phone and asked if the girls can come and see her for a while because he doesn't think that she should be alone. And after almost an hour, the girls picked up the keys at Caleb's office.

###################

Spencer's head stirred, her eyes are heavy and blurry. She could feel pain in her abdomen, it's the kind of pain she never felt before. She also became aware that she is tied to the radiator.

"Leslie, I'm begging you please let me go."

The girl stood up the couch and looked at Spencer, "hi princess you are awake."

"Why are you doing this? Please let me go, I'm about to give birth."

A creepy smile is flashed in her face, "so I guess I will not be needing this anymore," she played with a commando knife on her palms. "You still have not figured out yet, I'm taking your baby Spencer."

Spencer has been to a lot of scary situation but nothing compares to the moment that someone is going to take your child away from you. She imagined for a split moment what is it like to be alone, scared and cold, she couldn't let that happen. But also she could feel her contractions getting stronger by the moment. She's counting it in her head, it's regular intervals already and that something is starting to tear or open in her pelvis. She's trying to calm herself, "please Leslie I need a doctor. I beg of you, please let us go."

Aria had an idea to surprise their pregnant friend. As Aria and Emily walked through the familiar hallway, they hear some noise coming from Spencer's unit.

Emily didn't knock but she put her ears in the door to listen to the commotion inside the apartment. And Aria took out her phone, she doesn't feel right about this and sent Caleb a message.

 _Come home, someone is in your apartment. Hurry._

Emily tried to open the door as silently as possible and she saw the horror of Spencer in a wet dress chained in the radiator. Leslie Stone is squatting beside her with a knife pressing against Spencer's face.

"Look Spencer, the other dolls are here." Leslie pulled Spencer's hair, "Sit over there and leave you phone in door or Spencer's throat gets it."

"Please don't hurt Spencer, she needs a doctor" Aria shouted.

"Phone or I'll stab Spencer."

"Okay, okay." Emily and Aria threw her phones away.

"I told you Emily, I will take the baby and you will all watch, nothing you can do about it, sad." She mocked the traumatized women.

Spencer's breathing came deeper as the pain in her pelvic continues. She counted one, two, three and she should feel the baby shifted in her abdomen, she could feel that it's coming really soon. The pain is excruciating, it's incomparable to anything her body has ever been before and added the horror of Leslie will take away her baby, she would rather die.

"Leslie, please let me at least get towels for Spencer." Aria appealed.

"No."

"She needs towels because she's cold and uncomfortable, she cannot deliver the baby properly.

Leslie's face reconsidered, "fine Aria but no monkey business or Spencer will get it."

Aria nodded. And headed to Spencer's bedroom to get towels

############

Caleb can't seem to get anything right. He has that odd feeling that he has to go home. After talking to Aria and Emily he went back inside the office and asked his boss if he can leave immediately because Spencer had contractions the night before. As he's parking his car he got a text from Aria, he thought all the A/AD nightmare is over but someone is trying to play their last cards and take Spencer and their child.

He called the police and reported the intrusion in their apartment. The dispatcher asked him to wait for the police but he can't wait any longer. Any second that he stays away from Spencer, something might actually happen to her.

Caleb tried to listen on what is happening from the door. He could hear Aria is pleading and she's saying Spencer is in a lot of pain. It tears him apart.

He opened the door.

"So father of the year is here too, awww" Leslie taunt Caleb, "sit there or baby mama here gets knife on her throat."

Caleb never felt more helpless in his life than that moment. He could see Spencer in a lot of pain and fear. "Please let her go." Caleb asked Leslie.

"I will let her go after I take the baby." Leslie said.

Aria crying carrying bath towels for Spencer, she laid it there and she could see the large pool of blood is starting to come out of Spencer and Aria knew she have to do something.

"Go back to the couch." Leslie ordered.

She stood and as she turned her back on Leslie, Aria is facing a desk with Spencer's new laptop on it. She has to do this right or if not, Spencer might get hurt but she also knew Leslie is determined to walk out of the apartment with the baby, she will not let it. Aria's whole body froze, as she looked at the laptop.

"Aria, go back to the couch now!"

Aria will do anything for her friends, in one swift motion she grabbed the charging laptop turned to Leslie Stone and bluntly wacked her cheeks with it. She saw Leslie's teeth and blood flew out of her mouth and she dropped her commando knife and she lay moaning in pain on her back.

Emily and Caleb rushed towards Leslie and took the knife away. Emily started palpating for the keys while Caleb took Spencer in his arms.

"Spencer, I'm here okay, we will get through this." Caleb said to Spencer.

"Caleb I'm so scared, it's so painful," her breathing is getting faster and that's not good.

"I love you baby, please, Spencer breathe with me okay?" Caleb cupped her face, "one, two, three, okay calm down, breathe with me Spence and you can push like what we learned in that breathing class remember? Look in my eyes and we will breathe together, okay?" Tears are streaming down his face at stake now are two of the most important people in his life. He could see the crowing of the baby under Spencer's dress.

Spencer started relaxing and in three more cycle breathing with Caleb and a harder push, Caleb pulled their baby. The baby cried and Caleb laid the baby on Spencer's stomach. He never knew happiness until he saw their baby.

"Found it." Emily immediately unlocked the handcuffs. Spencer by reflex took their baby in her arms. Her face is a mess, she's been crying and in immense pain but everything is worth it.

"She's beautiful like you, I love you so much Spence." Caleb told her while lacing his hands on Spencer's back. He never thought he can love more than that moment.

"She is perfect and healthy and she looks so much like you." Spencer smiled while tears are forming in her eyes. She touched Caleb's face, her beloved Caleb, the love of her life and their daughter looked so much like a babygirl Caleb. She's alive, crying, and perfect it's over now. No more living in fear. She thought of her and Caleb with their baby living the free life they deserve after all these unfortunate events. "I love you Caleb, thank you for everything," she said faintly to him.

The sirens came close, it's all in haze policemen barged in their unit and just as Caleb said they need to go to the hospital and paramedics came in too. Something seemed wrong. She looked up to Caleb he's talking but she can't hear him, she can't hear the crying baby on her chest. And then she's losing control of her head, her eyes are heavy, she felt cold, she faintly heard Caleb's voice calling her name over and over again. But his voice and their baby crying in the background sounds so far away. Spencer's right hand dropped from Caleb's face to the floor. And then for Spencer Jill Hastings there's just darkness.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you for all the love, I think I still have four chapters of this left I'm almost done wrapping this story, although I have not finalized it yet, Thank you for those who left reviews. I do not own PLL, it's characters and circumstance. I reiterate, I'm not a writer.

###########

Caleb is losing his patience, he has always been the calm and collected one but this whole day events and the current situation of Spencer scared him the most. Their baby girl is safe, finally sleeping in the nursery, after he delivered the baby he felt like the happiest person in the planet. He is officially a family man that moment, Spencer and their baby is finally safe for all the harassment of A/AD. He remembered looking at Spencer, her face drenched with sweat, so much fear and pain it's almost cruel to think but she is still beautiful, he loved her more that very moment. Their daughter looked a lot like him, he recalled a tender moment that Spencer touched his face and told him she loved him and thanked him for everything. Then something unimaginable happened, Spencer looked at him and her doe eyes gently blinking but seemed like it's getting heavier, her hand dropped from his cheek to the carpet and she closed her eyes.

He called her over and over again then the paramedics came in, everything is a blur. With the confusion of Leslie's attack, seemed like Spencer lost so much blood and fluid and went to hypovolemic shock after delivering the baby.

The past few hours he watched Spencer from the glass panel of the hospital while she's touch and go with vital signs. The doctors raced to give her fluid resuscitation and more importantly control her bleeding.

There are so many things he wanted to tell her and apologized for, he shouldn't have left for work that day, and he should have stayed with her. This is partly his fault, he failed to protect Spencer this time around.

Sometimes life can be cruel, just as when he is starting his life with her, now she might actually lose her and Caleb never felt more scared. Just when he thought he couldn't cry anymore, fresh batch of tears rolled from his eyes. He clasp his hands under his chin and replayed the events of today and thought of what he could have done to change the course of this whole thing.

The neonatal pediatrics checked their daughter and assured him that she is healthy and strong, she weighs 6.8lbs and her vital signs are normal. Due to the sensitive situation Spencer is in right now, the baby is left to rest at the hospital nursery for the moment. Aria bought some baby stuff, blankets and diapers to the hospital. Caleb felt a little guilty about leaving their child in the care of the nurses when he should have been taking care of her, but given the situation right now of Spencer in grave condition, it's all for the best.

This should have been the happiest day of their lives, they became parents today but the worst case scenario frights him, possibility of losing Spencer.

"Coffee?" Emily handed him a Styrofoam cup of hot brew, "how is Spencer?

"No updates the past couple of hours but I hope she's stable now," he said while taking the cup from Emily. "Still touch and go two four hours ago. I shouldn't have left her, this is my fault."

"Hey, no one is blaming you, Spencer is a brave girl, she will get through this, Spencer never quits we all know that, " Aria said but this time you can sense the actual fear in her voice.

Emily looked up Aria who she has not seen in over two hours, "where have you been?"

"I went back to the apartment took more baby clothes, blankets and also called a cleaning service to get the carpet fixed. Spencer doesn't like messy apartments. I called Jason and Ali too they are on their way."

Caleb is very thankful that they two girls are here, he cannot imagine juggling and worrying about everything.

Emily's phone buzzed. "Senator Hastings will be here in a couple of hours, she and Mr. Hastings are taking the first flight out of London to here" Emily said while checking the message on her phone.

Aria turned her attention to Caleb, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm so scared of losing her, the possibility of raising our daughter without her is not something I ever imagined, I can never prepare for something like that. I cannot lose Spencer, that's not fair we only started our lives together, there is so much I haven't done as a partner. No one's ever told me that I have to prepare for something like this." Caleb started sobbing." "Spencer is not just my girlfriend but she is my best friend too, I can't begin to imagine our daughter growing up without having to meet her and its scares me more than anything, this is all my fault."

Aria and Emily rushed to pat Caleb's back. But as the minutes passed , no one has told them anything about the situation with Spencer, it is a scary moment when you cannot tell if she made it or not specially that a few minutes into the hospital earlier that day they said she's crashing and everyone started running towards the emergency room. It agitates everyone, the waiting game for Spencer's survival is almost cruel.

##########

After a few minutes, a doctor wearing blue scrub pants walked up to the group of friends.

"I'm Dr. Klein, Obstetrics Emergency Physician for patient Spencer Hastings. Any of you here family?" asked the doctor on duty.

"I'm partner, boyfriend whatever you guys call it." Caleb said

"Okay, patient Spencer Hastings loss a lot of blood during her labor and went to hypovolemic shock, her heart stopped beating once but we were able to bring it back and we continued fluid resuscitation including electrolytes, plasma expanders and whole blood." Everyone is hanging by the words of the doctor, "we repaired the bleeder on her uterus using laparoscopic procedure and we've been monitoring her blood pressure, kidney function the past four hours."

"Thank you for that but I just want to know if she's okay." Caleb's voice is shaking.

"Yes, she's stable now everything is working just fine and we're moving her to a recovery suite 512 tonight if everything goes well. But she's still unconscious right now, we just have to let her rest for a while and recuperate but she fought this through. We will still monitor her progress but I'm glad to tell you she made it." The doctor said to them.

Caleb felt tears on his eyes, Spencer made it. She really is tough and brave, bravest he's ever known. He can't wait to show her their beautiful daughter, he still has not picked up a name because Spencer said she had something in mind. Spencer is right all along, their baby looked a lot like him with brown eyes, raven hair, with the cutest baby dimples when she smiles and a strong grip. But what is more important is his family is safe now and they can finally be free.

He opened the door in suite 512. It's almost 10pm and Spencer is still sleeping peacefully wearing a light yellow hospital gown. Caleb gasped on how pretty she looked. Her right hand had IV lines attached to it. He could hear the vital monitor sound as he grabbed a chair and positioned it beside Spencer's bed. Caleb tucked some hair on her ears and he gently touched her hands, he held it and it pained him that she did not hold his back. He thought about catching some sleep on the couch but he cannot think of another place that he would rather be than here, somewhere where he can hold her hand. Caleb rested his head on Spencer's bed. He kissed her fingers before he drifted.

###########

Spencer opened her eyes and her heart melted when she felt that Caleb is holding her hand. She checked the wall clock it's been 6 in the morning already. He is asleep and it broke her heart that she has to wake him up but she wanted to see their daughter asap.

"Hey" she softly touched his face and he stirred.

"Spencer babe, you're awake, I'm so happy you're okay," He excitedly stood up and sat on her bed and kissed her head.

She gave him a weak smile. "Caleb how's our baby? Can I see her?"

"Yes, of course." He dialed the number of the nursery and asked for a nurse to bring their baby in the suite. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm actually good a little woozy but will you please help me up, I'm kind of afraid to move because of all these lines attached to me." She asked and Caleb carefully helped her girlfriend to sit. Spencer noticed that Caleb has been watching her and acting really weird like she's going to break. "Caleb, what's up? Something wrong?"

"No, no I just got scared yesterday, I thought I lost you. I'm just relieved and happy that you are okay now, I can't lose you ever."

Just that a nurse knocked on the door and wheeled a hospital baby carriage. Caleb stood up and smiled that the baby is actually awake too and looking at him.

"Hi, baby girl it's time for you to meet mommy." Caleb took the baby wrapped in pink blanket off the carriage and placed it on Spencer's arms.

Spencer looks at the baby with curious brown eyes looking at her and just like that she smiled and her small dimples on her face looked so adorable. Spencer is sure that she is not tearing up because of the hormones but because she cannot believe how pretty their baby is, she looked a lot like Caleb, his girl version. "She's so beautiful, it's surreal." She said in between shallow sobs, she knew all the sacrifices and pain just to make sure their child is safe is worth it.

"She takes after her mother." Caleb said while he put her arms on her shoulders.

Spencer smiled at her boyfriend, "She looks just like you, she's gorgeous." And the baby yawned.

"Thank you Spence for thinking I'm gorgeous." He said jokingly trying to lighten the air. And the couple laughed and the staring baby smiled again showing her pretty dimples.

Spencer noticed the hospital tag on their daughter, "Caleb why does it say Babygirl Hastings-Rivers?"

"We still have not agreed on the name, right? And since it's our daughter, you will name her and I will just wait for my turn when we have a baby boy."

With everything that has happened the day before, she's just glad with how optimistic her boyfriend is, "Baby boy, really?"

"Yeah, I'm not saying now, or next year but when you are ready, when we are ready." Caleb explained, "what is more important is for you to get better and we can start our life together again, no more fear of the unknown just us, our daughter and the rest of our lives together."

Spencer knew she loved Caleb but there is a chance that the past 24 hours that she loved him even more, she cannot wait to go home and take care of not just Caleb but their little bundle of joy too. "I actually thought of a name already, Arianna Camille."

"That's a pretty name but a very peculiar combination."

"Well it's for the strong and brave women that made sure our baby is safe, Aria, Hanna, Veronica, Emily and Ali."

"I will not object with that, I cannot imagine what would have happened if Aria and Emily are not around yesterday." Caleb will always be indebted with Aria and Emily for always saving Spencer in most dire situations.

"Where are they anyway?" Spencer wanted to know too if they are okay.

"In a hotel a couple of blocks away, your parents came around the afternoon from London and when the doctor said that you are stable, Veronica got a suite for Aria and Emily to stay in while they wait for the news, Jason and Alison are with them right now."

"That's good, is Hanna with them too?" Spencer has not seen Hanna in a long time, because she's not really allowed to go back to Rosewood for the rest of her pregnancy.

"She called Emily yesterday, she's worried about you, she's in Melbourne with Travis working on a fashion event tied to a race tour, and she actually wanted to go hop on the next flight to here but we told her she doesn't have to since you are safe and it's her chance to go international."

Spencer sighed a relief that their lives are finally coming together now.

"Caleb, can you please take our first family photo, I'm just excited." Spencer giggled on the idea about finally having her first family photo with Caleb.

Caleb held his phone up for a selfie and took several photos of them with Spencer still holding their babygirl, he reviewed the shots and marveled on how beautiful their family looked like. He tapped the post new photo option of his social media account and Caleb Rivers captioned his newest upload, Happiest morning #TeamHastingsRivers


	11. Chapter 11

"Spencer, are you ready?" Caleb called from downstairs, Veronica took the sleeping child from his arms. It's their trip back to Madrid for their daughter's second birthday. It's also the first overseas trip that they took not just as a nuclear family, but with their friends as well.

Allison and Emily are checking out the possibility of a destination wedding in Barcelona and they brought Aria and Jason who finally decided to get together finally two months before Spencer gave birth to Yari their pet name for Arianna. Caleb also insisted on taking Spencer's parents for this trip his reason being to make sure that someone will babysit Arianna when they are on a date which he said they don't do as much the past few months.

"Two minutes!" She shouted back.

She checked out her hair and her make-up. It's not just any other date, Caleb said he wanted to take her out on 'the date' where they can trace back the places that made them fall in love in Madrid. Aria insisted on making her wear a dark red mini dress that she said, she bought before but did not fit her which is odd since it fit Spencer perfectly. It showed an ample cleavage but at the same time it also highlighted her slim waist and a few inches above the knee to showcase her killer legs. Spencer turned on her back there the dress left backless V accentuating the small of her back. And the lace sleeves that stretched up to her wrist that contrasts her pale skin. She knew her boyfriend is crazy head over heels in love with her but it will not hurt to make him fall even more in love, that's her goal tonight.

Her long bangs are loosely side swept across her forehead and the rest of her hair kept in a bun loosely to focus on her delicate long neck, thankfully no obvious hickey, she and Caleb are still like teenagers being inappropriate sometimes. She took a deep breath. Her parents promised to babysit Arianna Camille for the night. All their other friends have plans later that night to go on their respective dates as well.

She could hear them downstairs of their suite. Her heart is racing for some reason and she just wants to see how Caleb will react on her dolled up self again.

Spencer is busy looking down the stairs since when she heard everyone grasp for their breath. Caleb had his jaw dropped, the kind of reaction she's looking for, "You look amazing, words failed me." Caleb said stuttering a little on how gorgeous his girlfriend looked like; it truly took his breath away.

"Thank you, boyfriend," she blushed and giggle a little as she reached out for his hands.

"You looked so beautiful; I think I'm going to cry." Aria said fanning her eyes with her hands.

"Love, I think you need to change too, we're leaving soon too." Jason whispered to his girlfriend.

Veronica walked up her daughter and kissed her in the cheeks, "be good and I will take care of Arianna, just don't get drunk and get in trouble. I'm so happy for you."

"Mom, I'm just going on a date with Caleb, my boyfriend, it's not like I'm going away for college. Don't cry." And she kissed the head of their sleeping baby her mother is cradling in her arms, "be a good girl for grandma, see you later."

"You looked so beautiful honey. Take care." Peter Hastings kissed her daughter's cheek.

Caleb held his girlfriend's hand, he just wanted to make this night special for her. She just wanted to remind her, how she fell in love with him but he skipped on bringing her to the bullfight because he remembered how she cried in the middle of the street and picked up a fight with the drunk crowd she called them, 'savages.'

They picked the Bistro that they used to hang out back when they accidentally ran into each other, Caleb seemed too distracted to eat. He just kept smiling at her and then checking on his phone every two minutes, which annoys Spencer somehow.

"Babe, sorry its work stuff." Caleb said while lacing his arms at Spencer's back.

She continued eating her dinner while trying to ignore his weird behavior. "Eat your dinner." She said dryly.

Caleb sensed his girlfriend is irritated and he is trying to pacify the situation, "don't be like that. Are you mad?"

She exhaled, "Caleb you asked me out on a date but all night you are on your phone, I'm not really in the mood to compete with your phone" sadness trailed her voice.

Caleb gently pulled Spencer into his arms, "I love you Spence don't be mad, okay? You do not have to compete for anything, you know that. We still have a long night ahead of us."

They walked around the cobblestone pavement after dinner. Caleb remembered that one time Spencer got too drunk back then and threw up on that bridge and they both laughed like crazy. He kept glancing at her and cannot believe how amazing she looked that night but she looked beautiful even in her just woke up mornings. He noticed a lot people are taking stealing glances at Spencer and Caleb is used that she's always been a stand out beauty. They had wine at a local tapas shop that they used to go before and Spencer's annoyance just melted away. Holding Caleb's hand is everything she needed right now. They stood outside the old hotel building where Caleb used to stay before. So many memories, she thought.

Caleb suddenly cupped Spencer's face, "have I told you how beautiful you looked tonight?" She giggled and she can feel her face getting red. He did not wait for his girlfriend to answer, he found his lips on her, "I've always wanted to do that the last time we are here." And he playfully pinched her butt, which shot her eyebrows at him, "that too." The couple laughed and continued walking around.

They had dessert at a corner shop that they used to go before, Spencer doesn't really need to remember how she fell in love with Caleb since all that matters to her now is she loved him completely and never stopped loving him all these years.

"I never realized how much I missed this crepe, where have you been all my life?" Spencer said in between bites of her hazelnut banana dessert dusted in powdered sugar.

"Would you like me to get you a second serving?" Caleb asked while watching Spencer devoured her dessert.

"No, but I want to try the coffee macaroons"

"Okay, try this tiramisu, it's really good" Caleb pushed his dessert and stood up to get a macaroons and a lemon cupcake for Spencer while listening to the happy sounds she's making while eating her dessert.

"Caleb we really need to get out of here, my dress will burst if I'd eat another dessert serving." She said after the last bite of her cupcake.

He chuckled at the remarks of his girlfriend. And he took her hand while they started walking back to the hotel. They passed by a portion of Retiro park on their way back, he coax her to sneak in there again for old time sake.

"Coming back here is really one of the things I looked forward in this trip, and this is one of your best ideas ever." Spencer said while pinching her boyfriend's cheeks.

"Well I could think of other good things I thought along the way." Caleb is smirking again.

"Okay, like what?"

"Like my idea of saving hot water by us showering in the barn every morning during the campaign got us a beautiful baby girl." Caleb pointed out to Spencer.

Spencer let out a loud laugh, but that's probably how they got pregnant. They are usually practicing the safe way all the time except the morning rounds in the shower which they used to do on a weekdays before attending the morning briefings. And that used to be a part of their mornings like a routine. She can't blame him; she can't really resist his charm that works every time he would invite her to join him, everyday back then. And who really has the time to think of condoms in the shower?

The couple walked a little farther and saw that there's a screen set up in the middle of the park.

It seemed like, there is a film showing on that side of the park, "would you want to stay here for a while? We can finally cuddle, kiss and more now than the last time we are here." He said while posting another smug smile on his face.

"Okay, that's one of your better ideas again," she said and her voice dropped an octave. Thankfully her mother is babysitting for the night. "But please do get blankets at the man over there, "she said pointing at the kiosk of a man selling blankets near the screen set-up.

"Sure, be right back." He squeezed her hand and headed towards the counter backstage to get picnic blankets.

Spencer had her eyes fixed on the projector screen. The last time they are here, she tried to kept her feelings checked, she knew she felt more than friendship with him that time and there is nothing more amazing now that being back with the man she loves. Caleb is an amazing boyfriend and an awesome dad. Their daughter who looked like Caleb is turning more into a daddy's girl every day. Although Arianna has Hastings pout and that is uncanny, she talked early like Spencer according to Veronica. Their daughter is adored by everyone even by Melissa who she calls Mimi she taught Arianna how to sing ABC's and how to count up to 5.

She scanned the small scattered crowd in the dark for Caleb and she cannot find him. But since she didn't bring her phone, she stayed put where he left her earlier.

The projector started playing something on the screen, 1,2,3. It's her favorite song. She smiled and wished that Caleb is here because every lyric of that song reminded her of how she felt about him. It's the same song that she sings to him in the car when they are up for a long drive. Then a message flashed while the music played and she started reading it.

 _This is a story of a rebel boy Caleb and who met a perfect girl named Spencer in a town called Rosewood._

A picture of a highschooler Spencer and Caleb at Emily's swim meet flashed.

 _Serendipity brought them in a train station in Madrid years later and Caleb fell in love with Spencer but got scared into telling her._

A phone video of her crying after watching a bullfight and then another laughing while sitting on a grassy grounds, drinking sangria when they watched sunrise in Retiro park.

 _Caleb ran into Spencer again in DC where they spent almost every weekend together, she became his rock, his best friend, his confidant, his couch surfing partner._

A series of pictures of them in their apartments, Friday night drinks, weekend series marathons and Sunday morning jogs.

 _Spencer was Caleb's road trip partner for an NY burrito cravings and Caleb was her dessert enabler._

Their photo in time square where she's wearing a red scarf.

 _Caleb never knew happiness until Spencer became his girlfriend but somewhere he got stupid and lost her along the way._

A picture of them in the barn and an edited graphics of something broke in two.

 _But true love always find its way, when Caleb worked hard to deserve a second chance with Spencer._

A selfie of them in the small kitchen of the safe house in Mapleton while eating pancakes.

 _Almost three years together and a beautiful a daughter after, he is still head over heels in love with her._

A video clip of them with their daughter during their trip to Hawaii last year and she's taking baby steps in the sand.

 _She can be a morning monster without coffee but Caleb is her favorite espressohero and will save her day._

An old photo of Caleb and Spencer sharing a coffee in the steps in DC.

 _That all this time there were two things Caleb's never been more sure for a very long time since the last time they were on this same spot, Spencer is everything he ever wanted and that he is always been hers._

 _And the Caleb wanted asks Spencer to spend the rest of her life's journeys with him and make more beautiful babies together._

It ended with their picture of Caleb and Spencer holding hands in a church when they attended her parent's 30th wedding anniversary renewal vows.

Spencer's tears kept streaming down her face, when she saw Caleb walked up to her. He took her hand and put out a small velvet box and opened it revealing a diamond princess cut ring. Caleb Rivers knelt in front of Spencer, "Spence, I'm yours and I promised to make you the happiest for the rest of lives, together. Spencer Jill Hastings, you're my best friend, my partner and my lover, will you marry me?"

She never thought that she will ever be this happy, but this is the happiest she's been other than when their daughter is born. Spencer cannot wait for the day that she will become, Mrs. Caleb Rivers.

"Yes!" Spencer gushed in between her tears, "yes, I will marry you and nothing will make me happier than to be yours Caleb forever."

He stood up and kissed her in the middle of Retiro park just like what he wanted to do a couple of years ago.

Then she heard loud awww and then Spencer realized that there is a small crowd in the dark and she figured that it's their friends, Jason, Aria, Emily, Allison, Mona who travelled all the way from Czech Republic trip with Mike Montgomery, and the biggest surprise is Hanna and Travis who flew from Switzerland where they split their time in Italy and Montecarlo. It's the girls all over again but now it is not to solve some mystery but to celebrate love. Hanna is the one who designed and made the dress for Spencer as part of her fall fashion collection.

"Sorry babe, that's the reason why I'm texting earlier, I just have to make sure everything is perfect." Caleb explained to his now fiancé. "Emily, Aria, Hanna and Ali helped me out with this whole thing and I asked your parents too."

"Shhh" she put her index finger to his lips, "it's perfect and I love every second of it." Spencer became busy again making cute faces with Caleb while wiping her lipstick off his face.

"So it is a race to the altar between Emison and Spaleb?" Aria said while hugging Jason.

"Thank you guys, for pulling this off, I can't imagine that you will do this for me," she shifted her gaze to Hanna whom she hugged, "and I'm so happy you are here too, I missed you so much," she has not seen Hanna in almost two years, "and you too, I'm glad that you are sharing this with me," she said to Mona.

"I will never miss this for the world and I really made this dress just for this occasion and I can't think of anyone that will pull it off this dress better than you, I even named this dress Spencer for my upcoming collection." Hanna said cheerfully and she gave Spencer the tightest bear hug.

"You wouldn't believe how Hanna practically dragged me out of the briefing in Geneva so that we will not miss our flight to here but anything for her." Travis said while lacing his arm at Hanna.

"Thank you for making me part of this, given our history." Mona said.

Mona became a fixture on their affairs more often when she and Mike started going out again. Spencer squeezed her shoulders, "exactly the point, we had a long history and you are part of our family too, dysfunctional but still family."

Emily and Allison came back with champagne bottles and glasses, "it's not really celebration without a champagne toast for the couple," Allison said while handing out glasses to everyone.

"To the two of my most favorite people, may your journey to happy ever after be peaceful and loving all throughout. To Spencer and Caleb, cheers!" Aria gave her toast and a roaring, cheers is heard from the group of friends, "and also I call maid of honor!" Aria said to the surprise of the girls, who all pouted.

"No, you can't do that! She already pulled something like that on being Arianna's godmother." Emily said and her head moving that it's never going to happen. Aria called on being a godmother back then after Jena and Noel are apprehended.

"If you care about it, you should have called it first." Aria smirked and she knew she will win this one.

"That's not fair! Call her out Spence." Hanna said to her friend

"I will be fair," Spencer said, "you guys will decide who will be my maid of honor." Spencer went back to her kissing spree with Caleb.

"So it's Aria then, I won that one fair and square." Aria pleaded her case, "and we are practically related now."

"If this is how we will select maid of honor then, I get to be Aria's" Allison said.

Aria somehow blushed, she loved Jason but she panicked a little that it may scare Jason away. She wanted to retort something quirky and funny but somehow it got lost in her mini heart attack courtesy of Allison.

Jason laced his hands on hers, "you really need to start talking how you want our dream wedding."

Aria smiled at her cute boyfriend, being with him made her realized that she deserve something good, and Jason made her realized the kind if life she dreamed about and actually live on it. "But you haven't even proposed yet."

Jason lightly head bumped his forehead with Aria, "Just wait for it, some small details are still a working progress but I want you to have the whole nine yards when that moment comes." And Jason kissed his girlfriend.


	12. Chapter 12

Four months later Spencer, Aria, Emily and Allison are having afternoon tea at the Dilaurentis house when Spencer brought up three packages each for the girls in the table. It's carefully wrapped with every design detail to perfection, very Hastings.

Caleb and their baby girl are playing in the backyard. Spencer could hear loud laughing of their daughter while she playfully horse around her father.

Spencer took out her phone and said she will film them while opening their respective boxes.

The cutie petite pulled the red silk string of the box with the name Ms. Aria Montgomery, she startled a little when two butterflies flew out of the box. It is a wedding invitation for Rivers-Hastings nuptials scheduled at the Plaza in Rosewood three months from now. And she saw a beautifully cursive note by Spencer.

 _Aria, will you be my maid of honor?_

The two other girls excitedly opened their boxes, it also has the note asking them to be her bridesmaid. Allison got so giddy about the butterflies. Smiles flew in their faces and they can never be too excited for their best friend, and to say yes to be Spencer's bridesmaid.

Aria felt a little emotional that moment, she remembered how Caleb and Spencer's story unfolded and almost ended before. She witnessed Spencer's struggle on the early part of her pregnancy, Arianna's first heartbeat, to the part that she almost died during Leslie's last attack when she gave birth. Aria has never been to scared in her life when the doctors started yelling, Spencer is crashing and her vitals are touch and go for a while. She all loves her friends, but it can never be disputed that all these years she and Spencer went through a lot. She's not just her best friend but dating Jason also made them closer like Spencer and Ali are not just her best friends but they became the sister she never had. Spencer asked her to be her daughter's godmother and she's her almost namesake after her too.

"Of course, it's a yes." Aria tearfully answered Spencer.

And then Emily's phone buzzed, it's a video call from Hanna telling them that she, and Travis are in Italy but she received the invitation from Spencer and she's excited to see them again. She also told them that her mother, Ashley flew to see them last weekend and will be staying for the next couple of days.

But more importantly, she said before she post anything on her social media account, she said she wanted her friends to know it first since they are like her family, Travis popped the question two nights ago and she flashed her 3 carat pink diamond engagement ring.

Aria looked up and smiled as Jason got out of the car waved at them but joined Caleb and Arianna in the yard for playtime. Jason DiLaurentis adores his niece and it warms Aria's heart.

###########

Spencer stepped out of the shower, she had a long day and had so much fun with the girls again. Caleb is on the other room tucking their baby girl to sleep, it's a routine already, she feeds her dinner and shower her and Caleb does the bedtime story time. Arianna get so excited about story time, she started to point out letters ABC on books thanks to Melissa. Growing up they had so much issues between them but after she gave birth, Melissa became the big sister she only dreamed about before and she adores Arianna too.

She put on a white tank top and a fitted boxer shorts with a pink bow, looking the mirror as she brushed her hair, she thought of how she and the girls are finally living the freedom they deserved. She misses this old room in their house in Rosewood. Looking back this room reminded her of the torture of the dollhouse but everything terrible from her past is just background noise. Spencer smiled at the thought of the idea of a home, she is home wherever as long as she had Caleb and their daughter in tow.

She went back to the bedroom and started putting away the pillows on their bed when she heard Caleb opened the door.

"You're back early, how was your story time?" Spencer asked.

"She fell asleep halfway. I guess she had so much time playing in the yard earlier, she's slumped." Spencer felt a hand snaked across waist and pulled her closer, "I also thought about having alone time with you." He slowly kissed the side of her neck.

Spencer giggled at the thought of what Caleb really means whenever he says, alone time. She loved him and she loved the bond that they share. Caleb is definitely not her first, but she is certain that he will be her last.

Spencer turned around to face him, she took time to looked him in the eye before capturing his lips with hers. She always thought that kissing him is like tasting a piece of magic in her mouth. She pulled away for a few seconds and grabbed the hem of his shirt, Caleb helped him remove.

"Spence I'll shower first."

"You don't have to," Spencer said with serious pout, she really is not in the mood to be left in the edge when he engaged her to want it right now.

"I'll be right back 3 minutes" Caleb gave his fiancé a quick kiss "and be naked when I get back," he ran to the bathroom.

Spencer heard the water from the shower and she smiled at the thought of how they've come a long way from the Spencer and Caleb that ran into each other in a train station. Spencer took off her tank top and her shorts and opened the bathroom doom.

"Caleb?"

"Two minutes Spence."

She pushed away the shower curtain and marveled the raw sight of her partner, "we haven't shower together in a long time."

Caleb widely smiled at Spencer and he pulled her close into a heated kiss. It's just her and him now doing again something they used to do every morning when they are still in a campaign trail.

Everything is falling into places for them, A/AD and the horrors of Charlotte, Leslie drama is a million miles away. They are finally at peace.

#################

A little over two months before the wedding her mother informed her that because she is the senator's daughter, they are invited to post for a wedding magazine. Spencer actually detest the idea of having to do this since she thinks her wedding should be a private affair.

She loved the idea of marrying the man of her dreams but it seems like there are so many cook in her wedding kitchen, Spencer being the perfectionist that she is lost control over the choices of food, her theme and her initial ballroom at a hotel kept being upgraded to accommodate more people. She doesn't want to say anything to her mother and to Caleb's mother who pooled their resources just to secure the most fabulous wedding Rosewood has ever seen.

Little by little Spencer is withdrawing; the once excited bride to be became stressed and cranky.

"Spencer, would you like us to order more Chilean roses for the wedding?" her mother asked.

"Mom, do we really have to use that many flowers?"

"Yes, we just want your wedding to be perfect, and the cake have you tried the cake samples Chef Angelo sent in yesterday?" Rima, the wedding coordinator asked her.

"No. I'll ask Caleb later."

"I have your prenup scheduled photoshoot for next week and then your wedding announcement at the Country club magazine too."

Spencer gave a weak smile, she just did not imagine that this has to be this big. She just doesn't get the point of the big, fat wedding. Sometimes she toyed about her and Caleb just eloping somewhere like in Vermont or Las Vegas and get it done and over with but seeing how everyone already gave so much effort to make this happen, it also felt wrong that she would do that to them.

"Spence, I have to go. But Rima will leave you the rest of the stuff that has to be accomplished this week, I have a meeting in an hour." Her mother and Rima said while exiting the door.

Arianna is on a nap time with Melissa for another 2 hours and she still has a few things that she needs to review, seeing the details of the big wedding is something that she is not that excited about, she wants something intimate but this choice will also hurt a lot of people that invested so much on them. She needed a breather, she needed to get out. She contemplated if she will call Caleb but he is in an important client meeting in Philly. She stood up and head to the backdoor.

She went to the one place that reminded her why she's doing this, the place where it all started. The barn.

No one has really stayed in the barn for three years, the furniture and couches are covered with dusty blankets. It's still the same barn only too dusty for comfort. Some boxes of papers and are piled in the corner. Spencer felt guilty about the state of the barn because whatever happiness she has right now, she will always looked back at this place.

Spencer pulled the dust blanket, it's still the same couch. The same old couch where they shared their first kiss, she smiled as she sat on it. The memory of that night seemed so far away but she relives the memory of it so many times.

"Spence," her silent thoughts is interrupted by Caleb who just walked in the barn.

"Hey!" she looked up at her fiancé, "I thought you will be in Philly for the rest of the day."

Caleb sat beside her, "I just did some demo for two clients and it did not really take long to impress them so I finished early and the contract is mine." Spencer gave him a weak smile, he knew Spencer for a long time and he knew something is bothering her. "Babe what's wrong?" He asked her while tucking some hair on her ears.

"Amazing, so proud of you," Spencer knew there is no way she can really lie to Caleb after all that they've been through, "Caleb I love you, you know that, right?" He straightened his back and listen intently to her, "but this big, fat over the top wedding is like a circus, it's really not something that I wanted but between your mom and my parents, and the exuberant amount of money already spent but this is not the kind of wedding that I want.

He took her hand, "then if you can have it your way, what kind of wedding would you want?"

"I will go through with the wedding but a part of me wished that we had a simple intimate wedding," Spencer laid her head on Caleb's shoulders, "and besides I can only imagine the wrath of Veronica Hastings if I'd do things my way."

"But babe, if you want that then screw them, it's our wedding," Caleb said in support of Spencer.

"Yeah, but that will be selfish, I think I will get over this soon, I just feel so stressed about the whole country magazine shoot and wedding announcements, it's a Hastings thing, I'm sorry," Spencer squeezed Caleb's hand. "But looking at the bright side of this, I'm only over two months away from being Mrs. Rivers, so I can forego of this, I know."

Caleb laced his fingers with Spencer's, "do you remember that this is the same couch, we actually well *cough* for the first time, well I mean to say kiss?" He is wearing his naughty smug face again.

Spencer smiled at her fiancé, "yeah, you were reading Gardeners Desk Manual, like seriously Caleb, how smooth is that?" she reminded him of the private running joke about Caleb pretending to read a Botany book than admit that he's waiting for Spence all along.

"It got in you, didn't it?" Caleb whispered knowing that it's the truth.

Spencer gave a small chuckle, "yeah it did, I reiterate Rivers very smooth."

Caleb started to pull Spencer's face to him and kissed her, "what time will Arianna wake up from her nap?"

"Not for another two hours, why?" Spencer said in between kisses.

"Okay, then that gives us a lot of time to do again the stuff we did that night." Caleb is wearing a big smile again. "We haven't stayed in the barn for a long time, let's relax and throwback."

Spencer kissed Caleb again, his hand started exploring the curves of her body. She will never get tired of the feeling of being with Caleb. He shifted her hips so that Spencer is straddling on top of him and he started blindly unbuttoning her blouse while kissing her. The big wedding circus is another noise on the background. Spencer remembered the most important thing is not the wedding but to be Caleb's wife.

###############

Arianna is having her usual fits again, she doesn't want to eat her veggies and it's a struggle that left Spencer to tears back then. But little by little she's learning the ropes of how to go around their daughter. Her parents are at the Radley attending a business function.

Caleb offered a hand to help her out but the stubborn Hastings refused since he will do the story time later and even if he's home early that day, she knew that he is also tired. And given what happened to the barn earlier, she knew he is exhausted since by the time they finished, it's already time for their baby to wake up from her afternoon nap. They've been staying a lot in Rosewood to prepare for the wedding and her mother have some paper stuff that she wants Spencer to check. The couples still have their DC apartment but as of the moment Caleb had several clients based in Philly so it's better for them to stay in Rosewood. And being so far the only Hastings granddaughter, the senator and the patriarch lawyer can't get enough of the happy, bubbly child that looks like Caleb but talks like Spencer.

"Yani, please just one more." She said while trying to coax her to eat another spoonful of pumpkin. She calls her by the pet name when she's on the verge of getting mad.

"No, mama." The child in the chair pouted and moved her head on the other side.

"One more, please?" Spencer is almost at the end of her patience.

"Okay." And she opened her mouth to take in the food.

Caleb rubbed his fiancés shoulders, "Spence, do you need sub?" He offered.

"No, I'm okay we're almost done just a few carrots left and I'll clean her up." Spencer smiled at the gesture of Caleb to help out.

"Spencer, I just need to make a few phone calls okay? But if Yani needs to get tucked in, call me, okay?" He said while kissing her head.

"Sure." And she shifted her attention to the toddler that started picking up the carrots by hands, "So we are not using spoons now, great." But she just melted when the child started eating the pieces of vegetables on her own and she smiled at her showing Spencer her cute dimples. Arianna picked up some pieces and offered it to Spencer. The impatient Spencer seemed so far away, how she can be mad at the cutest little baby she got.

Caleb thought about the conversation that Spencer and him had in the barn. He knew that they cannot back out of the big wedding since their parents have put so much efforts on it but he also knew that it's only once in a lifetime a woman will get married for the first time. And there is nothing more he wants than to get Spencer the kind of wedding she dreamed about. Bliss is an understatement on how Spencer made him feel the past three years, she's forgiving, selfless and kind. Caleb will always remember that he almost lost her when their daughter is born. He promised himself that if Spencer lives he will make it his job to make her happy.

He went to the office library of the Hastings mansion and saw the magazines and wedding paraphernalia that stressed out Spencer. He wants her to be happy but somewhere he doesn't know how to meet both Spencer and their parents to meet halfway.

He took out his phone and went to the message box with the usual people he knew he can turn on.

 _SOS. Anyone available to meet in a Brew tomorrow? Don't tell Spence._

 _Caleb, what did you do?_

 _Nothing, Emily. I promise but Spencer is not very happy with the preparation. Need help._

Aria, Emily and Allison told him to meet them at 8am.

Caleb doesn't want to get into Spencer's back but sometimes hard choices have to be made to make sure that she will be happy in the end.

############

He woke up before 6am. Spencer is still asleep he checked on Arianna on the other room but the toddler is sleeping too and kicked the pillow off her bed, she sleeps like Spencer too he thought. Caleb went downstairs and brew coffee, he is just hoping that Spencer won't wake up yet because he like it when he would stir from her sleep and will wake up with the smell of coffee.

The Hastings household likes to sleep in through Saturday mornings, he heard the beep of the coffeemaker and he took two mugs, poured coffee and went back to Spencer's room.

She's thankfully not getting any night terrors like what she experienced in DC, although she's still the same person that thrashes and hogs the comforter at night. But somehow when Caleb hugs her she calms down and he doesn't really mind sleeping with Spencer in his arms. Caleb knew what Spencer's been through and he wants her to know that he is there for her.

He put the coffee mugs on the bedside table and laid on his side on the bed, he traced the contours of her cheeks, her lips and her perfect eyebrows. She mewls and opens her eyes. She smiled at the sight of Caleb, "hi morning handsome."

"I brought coffee." Caleb kissed her temples.

"Thank you, is Arianna awake already?" She sat up and took the blue mug from Caleb.

"I checked on her, she's still asleep." Caleb has to tell her that he will have to leave in a while but he tries not to be suspicious, "Babe I just have to pick up something from the grocery, would you want me to get something for you?"

"Ice cream, the good double dutch and Yani ran out of baby wipes. And pickles, thanks"

He smiled at Spencer, the naughty smile that he wears to annoy Spencer, "Babe are we?" he suddenly became excited.

She gave him a weird look, "are we what?" Spencer asked him while sipping coffee.

"I just remembered before when we had Yani, didn't you eat a lot of pickles and ice cream back when we are living in the barn I just thought that, are you pregnant?" Caleb had a wide grin on his face. There is a part of Caleb that still feels guilty about leaving Spencer back then, if not for the horror of Leslie Stone almost killing Spencer then, he would ask her if they should start trying again for another child. Caleb grew up without a real family and somehow being with Spencer and how great they are together with their daughter, made him excited about the idea of having a big family.

Spencer sort of felt the longing of Caleb of having another baby, Arianna is almost halfway through toddler stage but somehow the horror of the last delivery experience sort of rattles her every now and then. But somehow Spencer crosses her fingers that Caleb will be patient.

"No, sadly I had my period last night. So get me tampons too." She laced her fingers on his. "Maybe one of these days when you think we are ready, we should start trying."

"I'm always ready. Just what I told you before I'm ready, when you are ready." He smiled and squeezed her hand. Just as someone softly knocked on the door and Caleb stood up to open it. It's Yani, still with her messed up hair and wiping her eyes. Their daughter would always go straight to her parents' room when she wakes up.

"Morning baby," he lets her in the room and the toddler walks in to their bed.

"Mama nuggle," she tries to climb into their bed and Caleb helped her up.

"Yes, baby snuggle with mama." Spencer inhaled the sweet baby smell of their daughter's hair. Sometime before as a child Spencer felt neglected but with Yani, she will let her know everyday how much she means to her and make her feel that Spencer will always be there for her.

Caleb watched his girls. Spencer really is a good mother, one of these days he's hoping that they will get more children together. He went back to bed and shifted Spencer's head to rest on his chest.

"You are an amazing mom." Caleb whispered to Spencer.

"Because you are great with her too and Caleb yes, we can start trying again after the wedding, I guess."

Caleb cannot hide his smile anymore, "are you sure?"

"Yeah I mean I'd love more mornings like this and we worked it out we're good parents together. Coffee, snuggles and well you are the expert on diaper and midnight feeding so I don't worry about that." She extended her neck and kissed his cheeks.

Caleb remembered the struggles on how to take care of Arianna, because Spencer had to stay in the hospital for two more weeks and to prevent nosocomial infections Arianna is sent home while Spencer recuperates. He had helped with Veronica and the girls but mostly he made sure that he knows what he's doing. He bathes, fed and change diaper for a few weeks until Spencer took over after she's discharged. He already worked a system back then and it's a lot harder since they are still based in DC. But going through the worst case and getting out of it in one piece is a relief that Caleb believed whatever it is that is thrown their way can be handled.

The little girl stretched her limbs and bear hugged her mother, "mama pancakes mik," Arianna said to her mother.

"Are you hungry?" Spencer asked her daughter.

"Yes mama mik." She still struggles with some words but she knows how to communicate what she wants.

Caleb stood up, "C'mon up with daddy and we'll go downstairs, we will make pancakes for baby girl." She child jumped into Caleb's arms, "but before the pancakes, I will have to find the tickle monster first." And he started tickling the back of their baby which laughed so hard.

"Caleb you go ahead first, I'll just make the bed and shower first."

"Okay, don't take long."

Spencer chuckled, "I'm not going anywhere."

"But I'll miss you." He likes to get inappropriately sweet with her and he enjoys the reaction of fazed Spencer Hastings.

"Caleb your cheesiness is for real." She said in between laugh and she pinched his butt.

He moved closer and kissed her on the cheeks, "but it gets into you every time."

"Yeah, it does." She smiled and Caleb with the baby on his arms went out of the door.

#########

Caleb pulled at the Brew's parking area and he saw that the other girls are already here. His heart is racing, he needs help and there is no one that knew Spencer more than these girls.

"Hi sorry I'm late, I had daddy duties."

"Caleb is really the father of the year," Aria joked about what Leslie used to call him

"Hey! What's with the wedding emergency?" Ali asked while taking a slice off her pecan pie

Caleb sat on the edge of the couch and his hands clasps together, "She doesn't want a big wedding but she's not backing down for the sake of her parents but I also want her to get the wedding she deserved."

"So let me get this right. Spencer doesn't want this big wedding but is afraid to tell her mom?" Emily clarified, "that's so her."

"I want to give her the wedding she wants but I can't just elope with her, I want it to be special." He ran his hands on his hair now.

Aria stood up and ordered two more coffee, she's also raking her brains how to get it right for these two. She went back to the couch and something flashed in her head. "I got this, do you remember where did you realized you like Spencer? In Madrid or in DC?"

"Madrid. But I did not act on it until we had that conversation in the barn." Caleb smiled and remembers what happened in the barn that night at some other time yesterday afternoon.

"Wait, you guys never hanky panky in DC? But you guys are always together." Emily is actually surprised.

"Well at certain degree I knew she feels something and I wouldn't have stayed if I don't have anything for her, but I used to think it's inappropriate given my history with Hanna but it is hard not to love Spencer when for a long time she's everything good I had." He paused as he took the coffee from the service crew, "but one night we had some beer like what we used to do a lot in DC and she opened up about having judging herself, I'm certain that moment we are on the same page. It happened in the barn, the good 'ol Hastings barn."

Aria took a deep breath, "so it took you guys over three years to admit your feelings, that's hard. But how did you guys date when you're together but not as a couple?"

"I knew I had feelings for her so I didn't date much but Spencer went out with a son of a diplomat for a couple of days and called it off after a week. I tried to pull away from her that time but it's impossible when she stopped seeing him I remember she called me that same night we had vodka shots and we cuddled on the couch until we slept, no hanky panky." Caleb smiled at the history of their affair. Sometimes he looked back and thought that maybe he should have just acted on how he felt about her but no matter how dark and painful the road to their current state of happiness, Caleb knew they made the right choice. He loves going home to Spencer and their daughter after a long day at work.

"Wow you guys are in a relationship for three years and I never really heard what happened in the two years you guys are holed up in DC." Alison said smiling.

"Yeah, back then we all are on PTSD with dollhouse, it's a hard time for all of us but I'm glad that Spencer had you all along during those dark hours." Emily said while looking at her coffee mug.

Caleb thought about their DC life before they started seeing each other and looking back he knew they did pretty okay. Spencer, his soon to be wife made him happy even then and he's glad that he is there for her during the anxiety attacks.

"We are always each other's plus one on everything even people in the office started teasing me on it, and we are together on weekends. That's why I need help how to figure out this wedding situation that it will be perfect for her." Caleb didn't actually knew what could have happened to him if she did not find him in Spain.

And no other persons knew Spencer better than her best friends and the years of being with the same set of people taught him to trust their guts too.

"Awww, wait I think I have this figured out." Aria said while looking at Alison and Emily, the two girls smiled and nodded in agreement. He knew he got this in the bag.


	13. Chapter 13

Spencer is slumped with the paper works her mother left her earlier that day. It's just a four weeks before her big wedding, she did everything to accommodate the demands of her parents. She did a photoshoot for the country club magazine and also a wedding magazine in Philly. She just wanted to get things done and over with. Caleb left for the city very early that day for some client meeting and she's left with the babysitting duty which she doesn't really mind since spending time with Arianna is one of the happiest she's ever been.

Their daughter slept on the office library couch and Spencer liked that she can work but also have her daughter within sight. She's growing up really fast and every day she's turning to look more like her father more than ever. They've talked about the possibility of trying for a new baby after the big stressful wedding, maybe with all the A/AD horror far away from her memories, this time around it will not be traumatic. Spencer thought about the horrors of delivering Arianna before but seeing how she turned out, it's worth it and she would gladly do it all over again. Maybe if they get lucky next time they can have a baby boy, and it will also looked like Caleb with dark locks and calming brown eyes with nice lashes. Thinking about little versions of Caleb makes her heart warm with excitement.

A soft knock interrupted her happy thoughts. She looked as the door opened and Caleb peeked in, "hi, I figured you'd be here." He walked up to her and kissed her lips.

"How's your day?" she asked while lacing her hands behind his neck while she kissed the corner of his jaw.

"Same. Same, well your husband to be just closed another contract for an investment firm. I did the demo and they loved it."

Spencer is proud that Caleb is doing what he loves best, she also knew that Caleb is working extra hard to make sure that they are well provided but even with their trust fund money, the couple promised never to touch it unless it's for emergency purposes only.

"I'm so happy for you," she stood up to hug him. She loves the smell of Caleb, she always thought that smelling Caleb is like smelling Christmas morning. And she can't be any happier that she's finally able to spend 365 days with the love of her life. She wished for it in secret back in DC when they are still friends, and she knew she will never hear the end of his teasing if she would tell him about that thought, the same way he always kid her of her short weekend dress that she used to wear in DC he said looked more like a lingerie and even back then she's trying to get naked around him.

"Spencer, actually I went home early today because I was thinking we should file of marriage license today" Caleb said while his hands rest at the small of her back.

"But should we, the wedding is not until next month?"

"Yeah, but I think we should file it together and be done with it, it takes about a week to get it so it there's any delay at least we have buffer time." Caleb said while running his hands on her arms, "and we can eat out after, let's just bring Yani and spend the rest of the afternoon together."

"Well yeah that make sense, okay you watch out Yani, I will just change clothes." She kissed her fiancé on the cheeks. "And Caleb I want to eat sushi."

"Yes, ma'am," Caleb saw that the little girl sleeping on the couch already mewled and smiled when she saw her dad. Spencer is not competing with Caleb but obviously this little one is playing favorites during the afternoon, it's not that she's jealous about it but she knew that they taught their daughter that she's love by her mom and dad.

"Up, up." The little girl opened her arms and looked at her father.

"Okay baby come in here." Caleb went to pick up Yani from the couch.

Spencer headed out the office library back to their bedroom. It's more real now that she ever imagined, they are submitting their application for marriage license, so many things in her head but still the thought of spending the rest of her life with her best friend, the father of her child and the love other life is something she can never be thankful enough. Caleb had her heart forever.

The city hall is about to close by the time they got there but the processing are kind enough to accommodate them seeing that they had a toddler in tow and Spencer being the low profile senator's daughter filed it like any other person. Spencer glanced at Caleb while filling up the form, she will marry him and there's no stopping them.

They walked around the park in front of the city hall after filing everything. They held both their daughter's hand while walking on the promenade. Arianna gleefully clapped when she saw a statue man street performer on the steps and she clapped her hands when this person started dancing then went back to a mannequin stationary position after the couple gave Yani some money to put on the hat on the pavement. She ran and beg her parents to buy her cotton candy which Spencer opposed at first but puppy dog eyes from both daughter and father made her say yes.

The couple sat on the bench while watching their daughter skips on the grassy field. Looking at her family Spencer knew she did something good to be rewarded with such loving people around her. Caleb bought churros from the nearby shop.

"Look what I found, I'm not sure it's good but I really think there is no such thing as bad churros." Caleb said while handing over the food to Spencer.

She started eating the fried dough dipped in hot chocolate sauce, "we used to eat a lot of this, remember?"

Caleb laughed out loud, "Yes, Spencer I remember that you would finish yours so fast and eat the rest of my chocolate dip."

Spencer smiled, it's true she would always eat her share so fast and then feast on Caleb's share later on, he never complains other than the occasional teasing. They ate a lot of churros when they would stroll on Retiro back when they ran into each other in Madrid.

Arianna is surprisingly behaving like an adult during their early dinner at the sushi place, although Yani is not allowed to eat rolls yet she content herself with the formula her parents gave her and by the time the first serving arrived she's already asleep in her stroller.

Spencer is like a child too when she saw the colorful spread of different rolls in front of her, it's been a while since they went out on a date and she it touched by the idea that Caleb brought her to a sushi house even if he doesn't even liked one. California maki is the closest thing Caleb Rivers will ever get to sushi and Spencer always made fun of that. He contented himself with chicken teriyaki while the fiancé feast on her guilty pleasure.

Spencer woke up around the around 4am feeling cold and she ran into the washroom and started throwing up. Caleb stirred when he felt that Spencer practically jump out of bed. He went to check on her when he heard her hurling sound. She's feeling under the weather the whole night but she's thinking it's the stress of the paper works that she has to accomplish for her mother.

"Babe are you okay?"

"I don't know, I don't feel so good and I feel really cold" Spencer said while washing her mouth in the sink

He went to his girlfriend and felt up her forehead with the back of his hand, "Spence you are burning up, c'mon let's go to the hospital."

Spencer is always the stubborn one but she doesn't really want to go out in the middle of the night, "Caleb I'm okay, maybe it's the sushi but I'd sleep on it and I'll be okay in a while, promise." She didn't even finished her sentenced when she had another bout with emitting.

She can barely hold her head together and just when she thought she could not release some more, she did. Caleb went out of the door and knocked on her parents door informing them that he is taking Spencer to the hospital and if they can check on Yani if ever she wakes up. Caleb went back with her coat, she still doesn't want to go.

"Spencer, I swear if I have to carry you out of here in my shoulders like a sack of potatoes I will do it," he held her hair up, "we are going to the ER now."

The usual stubborn strong willed Spencer gave way to her fiancé, they have to pull over twice before they reached the hospital. Spencer by that time is already crying and she told Caleb that her throat already hurts. Caleb is already crushed knowing she feels miserable that moment, there is something about Spencer that Caleb loved her so much that he would willingly trade places with her so he can take the pain away from her if it is that simple. By the time they pulled over her face is drenched with sweat and she's flushed in color.

One good thing about their trip to the ER is there are not a lot of patients waiting in line so Spencer got in there first for check-up. She had rotavirus infection but her diarrhea and abdominal cramps has not started yet the sad thing about this is there is no real cure she just have to wait for it to run its course for the next two to three days while she's taking anti-viral medications, they reviewed her immunization history and she's vaccinated with this too so even if she got infected she will have milder symptoms than those that did not receive any.

Spencer did not want to go back inside their house after they are back at her parents house, she's worried about possible infecting Yani so she told Caleb that she will just stay in the barn for a few days until she's better. She lay on the fetal position on the couch after taking her medicine, they still have about 2 hours before Caleb should go back and check on their daughter. The dull cramps subsided a little and it's the most comfortable position she could think of, Caleb lifted her head in his lap and stroked her hair until she dozed off again. Caleb smiled at the sight of Spencer finally getting some rest. Good thing that he will have to stay in the house for the rest of the day since he doesn't have any client meetings scheduled.

Spencer woke up when she felt that Caleb carried her to bed. She smiled as he gently laid her to the bed in the barn, the same bed they used to share together. She ran her fingers on his hair, "you know you don't have to do that."

Caleb kissed her forehead, "but I want to." He squeezed her body a little tighter closer to him, "get some rest and I will check on Yani in an hour."

The medicine she's currently taking made her a little woozy but she found comfort in the arms of her bestfriend, her fiancé the man she fell head over heels with, there is nowhere else she would rather be that be with Caleb. Spencer forgot what it is like to be without him, he made her want things she never thought she would ever dream of and silently thank that she had far better life than she imagined before.

She woke up with the yearning to see her daughter and Caleb but Spencer knew she can't, well the doctor said she can but it will put Yani at risk so she tried to get more fluids and rest. On the big house Caleb is running out of ways to distract their daughter in looking for her mom. She's been anxious looking for Spencer in their room and she keeps calling on her. Caleb thought that Spencer told her a couple of weeks ago that he is Yani's favorite but seeing her like this made Caleb think that she loves them both just as the same. Their daughter started crying looking for her mother before he bathe her, she just keeps calling her mama. Caleb let her slept in their bed that night.

On the second day, Veronica said that she will keep an eye on Spencer while Caleb brought their daughter in a play place at the local mall where she played the Princess for a day. Yani got so excited about the big dress and the crown they made her wear but silently Caleb thought that it would have been perfect if Spencer is not sick and is with them. He took a picture of Yani and sent it to Spencer.

 _Awww I wish I was there too._

 _I miss you already_

 _I miss you too_

 _I love you. Get well soon, okay?_

 _I love you too. Thanks for looking after us._

That night after Spencer cleaned up, she got startled by Caleb carrying their slumped daughter on his shoulders.

"Hey, don't do that PTSD, remember." She said while her hand is in her chest.

"Sorry, I just missed you and yes, Yani, not an easy baby to feed." Caleb recollected how they struggled together for a few hours so he can make her eat her dinner, she just threw some peas and played with the carrot cubes. "I don't know how you do it, are you sure I can't just feed her formula?"

Spencer laughed at her fiancé, "no, but how did you do?" She said while smelling her back.

"We finished after an hour and your mom put her to bed but she started crying again so I figured this is the best place to be. She's kind of tired too with our day at mall which she missed you so much."

She hugged her fiancé, "I miss you too one more day and hopefully I'm okay."

"No more sushi for now okay? And we are spending the night here "

"Caleb promise I'm okay. I should be back by tomorrow. You guys can back to the mansion"

"But I can't spend one more night away from you, I barely sleep last night and I will never allow you to sleep in the barn alone ever again. We are staying together here."

Spencer knew what Caleb has been talking about. She knew how hard it is to stay in the barn alone, she remembered it very well. She took the sleeping girl from Caleb and put her to bed.

That night Yani slept in the middle of Caleb and Spencer. Caleb knew that nothing can tear him away from his family.

###############

Allison took Spence shopping more than a week later for a ball that they will be attending the following week. Ali picked a white dress for Spencer with silver applique which reminded Spencer of the dress she wore during her mother's inauguration speech. Spencer loved the thought of wearing something like this for their wedding but her mother already picked up a wedding dress for her. Allison tears up when she saw Spencer put on the dress. It seemed like it's a very special ball since Allison insisted that they will get their nails and test for a hair and makeup look for the ball. Spencer did not really like to spend the whole day away from Yani on a Saturday but Caleb insisted on having a daddy and daughter time and Caleb insisted she needed some 'me time.'

All those years together, she learned to yield for Caleb from time to time although he said that she is strong willed as ever but she's just glad that he never fought with her intensely during disagreements and she learned to be more sensitive about his feelings too. There is so much to learn about them, she thought but she is just grateful how blessed she is with the kind of relationship she is with for the past years.

The whole day is spent in Philly, brunch, spa, much needed shopping for hot lingerie since Spencer thought they have not been intimate the past few days, he's busy, distracted all the time. It's peculiar but she's letting it slide given he is very busy. Spencer hanging out with Allison who became like a sister too considering their family involvement kept her thoughts in focus. Spencer loved the test hair and make up for the look next week, her hair is put on a loose up do framing her face, a nice combination of smoky eyes but with softer mauve and bronze and a strong deep red lipstick, the artist said that it's almost fall inspired since winter is not in the next 3 weeks around the time of their wedding.

Aria and Emily are not able to join them since they said they are working on a project but will not discussed what it is, Spencer thought about maybe they are conceptualizing the Emily-Allison wedding that will happen very soon too, although not the big even organized Spencer is, she's just thankful that Caleb's mom got the most prolific events manager to cover for their upcoming wedding which Spencer though is getting bigger out of control but as she always told herself, eye on the price and just be Caleb's wife and everything else is just stupid background noise.

They got stuck in the traffic on their way back, Caleb said it's okay since he will just feed and bathe Yani. Spencer's parents are not in town for the weekend since they are in London visiting Melissa.

"Spence, Emily asked if we can drop by our house first I think Aria needs us" Allison said while checking her phone.

Spencer is still keeping her eye on the road but she's worried what could have happened to Aria, "Ali can you check what the problem is?"

Allison is trying to contact Aria who is not picking her phone but Emily said that she's with Aria, Ali put Emily on speakerphone, "she had a fight with Jason and she's really upset. Please just get here okay?"

Around 8pm Spencer and Ali pulled over the DiLaurentis house, Aria and Emily are in Alison's room.

"Hey what's up? Are you okay?" Spencer asked Aria

She gave a weak smile, "yeah we talked already, it's just some stupid miscommunication."

Spencer wanted to inquire on what happened but she also respects the privacy of her friend.

"Why are you guys so dolled up?" Emily asked.

"We went to try out look for the ball next week and bought clothes for it."

"Wait I have an idea," Aria said excitedly with almost no hint of her previous upset with her fight with Jason, "I want to see your ball dress and I will let you guys check my dress too."

"But I have to get home to Caleb." Spencer said and a secret smile in her heart, she's coming home to Caleb.

Emily took out her phone and called someone, "Hi Caleb, is it okay if we keep Spencer here for another hour? We're just going to try dresses like we used to."

Caleb spoke on the other line while on speakers, "Yes, Emily Yani is already in bed so she can take her time."

The girls went to try on their clothes like what they used to do a lot during their teenage years. Spencer thought that her ball gown is a little over the top, but Allison insisted that since she's going to be a bride in the next three weeks, no one will make big fuzz out of it.

A little over 9pm, Emily glanced at the window and called the girls attention.

"Guys, wait." All the girl attention shifted to Emily, "Spencer do you have a guest in the barn?"

Spencer is bewildered with that question, "No." She walked towards the window and saw that the lights on the barn are open but the drapes are down. She called Caleb and he said that he is in Spencer's room with Yani.

Spencer had some of her worse fears again realized. What is someone is trying to hurt them again. She hurriedly turn back and head towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Aria said.

"I will check out on it." Spencer said with her fear masked haphazardly on her voice.

"We will go with you, I will just call Jason, okay?" Aria said.

The girls did not even bother to change clothing; they all crossed the field wearing their fancy dresses. Whoever this person is, they will battle wits in style.

By the time Spencer reached for the front door, the lights in the barn are all turned off. She could see anything inside.

Spencer opened the door and when she switched the lights, she got the surprise of her lifetime. Everything is how she imagined it and possible more unfolded before her eyes.

##############

Aria, Emily, Caleb and Ali hatched the plan, get Spencer out of the house for the day and then they began working on the barn. Good thing that Jason and Toby also helped out with the hard work knowing that they only have a few hours to pull it off.

Aria designed the lay out and sourced the materials a few day before. The girls will do anything to protect each other but they will also go great lengths to make each of them happy.

Emily and Aria admired the work they've put so much passion on before inviting Spencer and Alison to come to the DiLaurentis home.

##################

The white almost sheer voile drapes hanged in the ceiling of the barn and converged in the center of the room and in between the drapes are little white blue lights that looked like stars peeking in from above. The drape centered at clustered of white round lanterns that glow. In the center are two tall tree branches painted in white and with subtle lights at on its footing. The two branches touches at some points where the twigs makes makeshift arch decorated with white lights, lilies and pale colored roses. Spencer's favorite music started playing softly against the background.

Spencer's eyes started welling up when she saw Caleb in full black custom made suit smiling at her standing in the middle of the arch and started walking towards her. He took her hands and kissed them.

"I just want you to have a small intimate wedding you always dreamed about, in the place where we finally let ourselves to fall in love." Caleb kissed her gently on the lips and wiped her happy tears with a hanky.

"This is perfect, you guys did this?" Spencer gleefully asked while welling up, "thank you so much." She address her friends who joined them at the barn that moment.

Toby interrupted the couple drama, "hey guys we actually have a very sleepy flower girl, should we start?" Caleb and Spencer smiled at the guy who became their best friend through the years.

The raven haired beauty who is holding Arianna in a baby pink dress spoke, Emily lowered Arianna and talked to the toddler, "remember what we practiced okay?"

"Yes." Arianna took Aria's hand and they walked towards the arch.

Then Caleb walked back to the arch, then Emily and Alison and later at a mark, Jason took Arianna from Aria and she joined two girls. As Spencer is walking towards Caleb a few steps away through, the girls took Spencer's hand and they held her had for the rest of the walk. And when the moment came,

"As Spencer's best friends Caleb we are giving Spencer away." said Alison

"May your lives be showered with blessing and peace." Emily wished

"Please make Spencer feel loved every day and don't ever hurt her, okay?" Aria said

Caleb took Spencer's hand and Aria spoke in the middle of the makeshift arch.

"We are gathered here today, friends, family to honor and show out love to two of our friends. There are no words to explain how happy we are that these two found each other, we've seen Spencer and Caleb apart and with different people, we saw them as friends as best friends and lovers. We saw them at the most dire situation, we saw them broken yet somehow found each other to be together again and having been a witness on how they grown up and cherished their union all these years is truly what I believed to be in the true spirit of love." Aria turned to Caleb, "you may now say your vows."

Caleb took Spencer's hand, "Spencer, I promised to make you happy every day but there are days that I still frustrate you and disappoint you but you never gave up on us. Being with you made me strive to be a better person, made me dream bigger and made me a more grateful man. There is nothing that will bring me more happiness than to be with you and love you for the rest of our lives. I cannot promise you that there will be no bumps along the way but what I can stand by is I will be right beside you holding your hand, as your loving husband."

Spencer has not stopped crying, what she dreamed of is unfolding right now, "I have not prepared anything," Spencer said but she's always the one that can speak even without cue cards, "I can never thank you enough for walking into my life, it's not the smoothest path but you gave me so much love that I never imagined I could ever deserve. Thank you for being a doting partner and an amazing dad to our daughter and reminding me how amazing it is to love you. One day we will be old and gray but I know that my life is well spent having to share it with you. You've made me feel so calm, collected and protected all time. I love you Caleb Rivers."

"With the power of the state of Pennsylvania vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Aria said while tears streaming down her face too, "Mr. Rivers you may now kiss your bride."

The couple kissed and they all cheered when the two danced to the same song that Spencer sings in the car and tune that played when Caleb proposed to Spencer in Madrid earlier that year.

"So you are now officially, Mrs. Caleb Rivers," Caleb whispered to Spencer.

There is a certain ring to it that whenever Spencer hears it out loud she broke in a cute smile, "Yes, and Caleb I'm so happy with this surprise, thank you."

Caleb slid his hands at the small of her back, "But there's a part of me that also wanted this to be done because I don't think I will hold on one more day."

"What are you talking about?" Spencer asked her husband as she runs her fingers on his hair.

Caleb sheepishly smiled at his beautiful wife, "You are not aware of it but we are actually doing a no sex pact for the last 7 days, it's a lot harder that you think when I sleep and wake up with you, one more day and I'd go insane."

Spencer let out a small chuckle on her husband's confession, "Well I agree I'm not exactly a willing participant of that activity, I thought that you're just tired and I actually bought stuff earlier at VS because I thought I lost my mojos on you."

He pulled her closer to him, "that will never happen ever, you are the most beautiful, most gorgeous person I've ever met and there is nothing that you can do that I think will never be hot." Caleb smiled at her, "I want to do it the right way this time because that's how it's supposed to be yet I also can't wait to see what the big lingerie surprise is." Caleb wore the smug smile on his face again.

"Caleb please no more sex pact?"

He cackled as little, "I promise Spencer that will never happen again. It's horrible."

The two kissed in the middle of the barn just as they did more than three years ago. Although they still have a big fat wedding in the next few weeks, this small ceremony with their dearest friends made Spencer so happy.

Some champagne and finger foods later, Aria and Jason offered to babysit Arianna for the rest of the night so that the newly wed can enjoy some alone time in the barn.

An hour later and some discarded clothes in the foot of the bed, Caleb laid Spencer in bed with his hand at the back of her head. He kissed her just as he did a thousand times before, this dance in the passionate ring of fire is something familiar to both of them but there's a certain degree of amazing now that this is something they will share as husband and wife. As they passionately explored each other, he remembered kissing Spencer for the first time in the same barn, seeing her face so beautiful against the flickering walls of light in Time Square, her face when he saw her pregnant for the first time and time she gave birth to Arianna. This is the kind of thing that he knew he will keep for the rest of his life. All their lives, Caleb and Spencer felt a great part of their lives, they felt unloved but finding each other filled the entire void. The hurts of the past made them stronger. This is how their story of a chance encounter in a train platform, and the once DC best friends became lovers, lost touch but somehow found each other the painful events gave them the love story of their life time. Caleb knew that Spencer will always be his and Caleb have always been Spencer's.


	14. Chapter 14

She's been sitting in that window over-looking the cloister courtyard after dinner waiting for sunset for the past two and a half years. Her once dislocated jaw doesn't hurt that much as it did the past year, she's been immersing herself solving this word puzzles from the newspaper. They are not allowed to read or watch the news but the comic strip and the word puzzles has been regularly given to her as a reward for good behavior. She glanced from the paper on her table to the trees and the grass changed colors, the gerberas and carnations gave some color in the bleak but perfectly manicured garden in the middle of the brick walls. One day she knew she will get out of this, but today might not be that day yet. The wind is starting to get colder the past few weeks, the daylight seemed longer, it's that time of the year again. It is impossible to make a run in this place, it's a place where the abandoned both by family and society are found. The judge said she is criminally insane, she has been drugged, dragged, gagged and shocked until her fragile body can take it no more. They said she's crazy, but she only wanted to play and to avenged what has been taken away from her a long time ago.

She shifted her position. She knew in her heart, she does not belong in this place. But opportunity seemed to be not going well for her, she thought. One day, she will come back. That day none of them will be looking, none will be ready what she strikes again. She will take what is hers and punished the people that got her into this hellhole.

She started solving the puzzles again, it's not a run in the mill puzzle but something very special. Someone is sending her messages through this. Today hidden on her horoscope and she let out a smile upon reading it.

 _Today might not be the day, but with a little patience wait for it. Help will come your way._

She heard her name called from across the hall, it's medicine time again. She folded the newspaper and threw it in the garbage can. Soon.

The nurse with the automatic frown on her face scolded her for walking so slow. Medicine cocktail have been handed to her. She took it in and opened her mouth as the lady probed her mouth if she took it all in.

She went back to her room to sleep. She could be asleep that long when she heard the fire alarms go off. She's still a little groggy and she could her screaming and fellow patients running around the hall while the nurses are trying to calm them down.

She stood in the middle of the confusion while the fume of smoke filled her lungs. She heard people crying and being agitated as another explosion from the east wing echoed from her location. She felt scared, she cannot die in this forsaken place. She felt dizzy and she dropped to her knees and started crying too, there is no way out of this hole.

And in the dark corner when all hope left her, she heard her name. She looked back and smiled.

"I will take you home now, Leslie." She let herself be guided by the hooded figure away from the burning building. She got in the backseat of a fragrant German car. She watched the fire and smoke and confusion get left behind as they drove away.

##################################

It's the 8th of December and Spencer Hastings stood in front of the window overlooking the garden where she will marry the love of her life in a few minutes. Make-up is done and she already wore her wedding gown, this is just like what she had a few weeks back. It doesn't matter anymore, she thought marrying Caleb at the barn is one of the best decisions she ever had. The memory of the secret wedding in front of their friends and daughter makes her all giddy and happy. Her wedding night at the barn, and spending their first night as husband and wife at same bed where they first consummated their boyfriend girlfriend relationship before is really something special.

The night before, she is reminded that she is booked to sleep with the rest of the girls and her mom just to be on the safe side in another suite but around midnight she crawled into Caleb's room where they make crazy love like there's no tomorrow.

"You're not supposed to be here." He said while kissing her bare shoulders.

She pulled him even closer, "just making sure you did not bring a stripper back from your bachelor party."

He let out a small laugh, "seriously, your brother, ex-boyfriend joining me I don't even things I'm allowed to look at another naked butt ever."

Spencer kissed the corners of his jaws, "I'm a very jealous woman Mr. Rivers and I do not appreciate any butt checking or I'll gawk your eyes out." She said in between laughter but Caleb knew that the full wrath of Spencer Hastings-Rivers is a force to reckon with.

"Spencer, I already married you and I really don't think we should be talking when could be doing some crazy good stuff in the bed." He hiked up the nightie she's wearing.

Her reminiscence of the events the night before is interrupted by her mother bringing over the veil.

"Spence sweetie, are you ready?" Senator asked her daughter.

"Never been more ready all my life," she smiled as she noticed her mother started putting the veil on her head.

Ten minutes before the ceremony and countless tissue paper pulling the senator excused herself to the powder room to fix her make up. Everything is already set her bridesmaids are waiting for her outside except for Aria who instead of doing her maid of honor duties spent all her time making cute faces selfies with Arianna. Aria is like a second mother to her daughter.

Spencer is waiting for the cue when to get out of the suite when she felt an arm snake across her waist.

"You know you are not supposed to be here?" Spencer said adjusting her long veil.

"I just want to see you first before anyone else." Caleb whispered to his bride.

Spencer chuckled, "Caleb it's bad luck." She is not a superstitious type but she would like to just be on the safe side.

"Spencer, we both been through series of bad luck so bring it on and we will emerge together," he gave her a heartfelt laugh, "you looked so beautiful Spencer I don't know if I've ever said that enough."

Spencer turned to face him and put the rest of her hand at the back of his neck, "I like your train of thoughts."

Just when the door burst open and Aria entered the bridal suite, "Hey groomboy you are not allowed here. Wait for your wife at the aisle" but before anyone can react Aria took her phone and snap a photo of Spencer in veil standing in front of Caleb who is holding her hand with the big window overlooking the garden as their backdrop, "sorry I can't help it, it's too picture perfect." The petite brunette laughed, "c'mon Caleb scram already."

Caleb let go of Spencer's hand but on the last minute he looked back and smiled at her, "I love you" he said.

Spencer looking at Caleb Rivers through her veil, "I've always been yours Caleb now and for always."

########################

At the remote part where the picture perfect garden wedding of Spencer and Caleb is being held, Leslie watched. There is nothing that inspires her to live her crappy life in the asylum more than the day that she will get to serve her revenge at Spencer and her friends. Spencer's daughter is a flower girl at their wedding, how cliché she thought. Wait for it, I'm coming for you, she thought.

"You have not smiled for a long time," the voice from behind her said.

Leslie focused her attention at the wedding several meters away, "Let them be happy today, with the new set of rules in my game, I will take away from Spencer everything she ever had." Leslie smiled.


	15. Chapter 15

Spencer looked at their one year old son, Sebastian Carlisle while she watched from her periphery Yani finished her breakfast cereals wearing her blue preschool uniform. Caleb wanted their daughter to have a normal playschool experience but if it's all to Spencer, she would rather homeschool their daughter. But little by little the memory of Leslie and A starts to fade in the background. A few months after they got married, a double pink bar appeared at the end of the pregnancy test, came as surprise but not so much as they have been wanting another child for a while. It took that effort a little push after the late honeymoon present from Caleb's mom which happened to be a trip Maldives got them Sebastian after nine months.

Being a part time consultant at her parent's foundation gave her something to get busy in between the feeding and diaper change of their younger child. Caleb still works in an IT consultancy firm that allowed him to work under flexible time. Before tying the knot both of them decided that Rosewood is a place to be when trying to race a child but given that A/AD or Leslie out of the picture, she thought that it isn't too bad after all. Something about Rosewood pulled them back to it. They got a lovely house at the other side of town, with a lawn and a dog, very desperate housewife but finally living the peace the past four years is worth it. Sometimes Leslie Stone still crossed her mind and despite the trauma she still felt bad that the hospital burned down a day before she married Caleb. Leslie burned alive and her remains are only identified using dental records, but the bad dream part of her life seemed to be over now. She's happy she's finally happy.

"Mama, are you going bring me to pre-school today?" Yani asked while combing her deep brown hair just like her father's. Her daughter is very independent like her, she likes to shower or fix her bed or eat on her or own for as long as Spencer can remember. She's growing up too fast and so pretty. "Please pack my favorite pj's too for my sleepover at grandma's tonight?"

"No, baby you will ride along with Daddy but I will pick you up later after class. Yes, baby will get your stuff ready after school." Spencer said in between breathes while coaxing Sebastian to eat pureed pumpkin but struggle to put the spoon in his mouth. She checked the time and poured coffee in Caleb's thermos, "Caleb, you're gonna be late, hurry up, I left you a sandwich in the car." As she went back to Sebastian who started throwing breakfast pumpkin puree in the floor.

She heard hurried footsteps from the stairs, "morning babe," she felt his lips on her temple. "Sebastian, stop throwing food in the floor." Like the toddler would really understand him. Spencer smiled at the chaos that she called routine morning, but this not something that she will trade for anything in the world. "Yani, come on, let's go." Caleb watched their daughter gather her stuff.

Spencer kissed her husband on the cheek, "would you want me to cook dinner or go date night tonight?"

Caleb watched his wife, he's careful about not missing anniversaries or anything significant because she can get very upset with missing out for occasions. He thought again, no he did not missed anything, he is sure about that, "are we celebrating something?" He laced his hands at the back of his wife.

"No," she squeezed Caleb's nose, she love his nose. One of the things she's thankful about is their children seemed to have inherited his nose although Caleb assured her a hundred times that hers is just fine. "Mom asked if Yani can stay for the weekend and they are okay babysitting for the rest of the night and we'll just pick up Sebastian on our way back." Her parents are so in love with their grandchildren and every now and then they asked the couple to bring them over and they usually use that for quality time as a couple since raising two children that kind of time does not come by just as easy.

He gave her his naughty smile while pulling her closer, "would you like me to book a hotel downtown or we can stay in the barn in your parents' house" he gave her a hearty naughty laugh, "Spence, I know you always love the barn."

"You know me too well," she said giving him a peck on the lips. "But we have the house to ourselves," she whispered and the couple laughed.

Just as the display of affection are getting out of hand, a voice from the background interrupted the couple.

"Daddy, we're going to be late," Yari said while her little arms tried to balancing her bag and workbooks.

Spencer giggled, "yeah, I will see you later and I got your coffee." She handed him the thermos and kissed their daughter goodbye too while stacking her snack box with the books.

"Mama laboo," Sebastian told his mom and Spencer smiled at the handsome baby boy that looked a lot like his father, from the eyes to the shape of the mouth. She remembers the time their first born is around this age, how they struggled making her eat anything. But it's all great, not smooth sailing all the time but they managed.

Spencer listened from the kitchen as Caleb pulled away from the driveway. She clutched at the rag to clean up the mess that started to accumulate in the floor, it seemed like Sebastian have entertained himself throwing pureed vegetable in the floor.

#########

Caleb reached for Spencer's hand while the other hand is in the steering wheel. She looked at him and smiled sheepishly, there is something about him that small gestures like still makes her stomach flip like a girl from highschool. She may have a little too much wine over dinner, she rationalized that since Caleb is driving she's actually drinking for two. And it's been a while since her last glass of merlot since she breastfed Sebastian until last month when he turned one. Her mother called her from the restaurant than Sebastian and Yani are already asleep and it's just better for them to stay over for the night since they are not the friendliest kids when their sleep are interrupted.

"Is it weird that my parent neglected me almost all my childhood years but now volunteers to babysit on Friday night?" Spencer said and deep in her heart she already forgave her parents for being emotionally absentee since she can see how they poured their love to her children.

"Who would have thought?" He smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Thought what?"

"That we will end up together," he said "don't get me wrong but given how polarizing we are, growing up you're like princess and I'm the poor boy in the stable."

Spencer pulled his hand and kissed his fingertips, "but when you think about it we have more in common than you think, I mean we have different degree of parents abandonment issues," Spencer said, "we love the same people and we survive each other's nerd talk even when we're still friends. We will always have Madrid and DC."

He untangled his hand from hers without removing his gaze from the road and slip it to her nape and his thumb caressing her cheeks, "and add to it how we always got each other's back at the darkest of days and you make me so happy. Spence, you've given me the family that I can really call my own." Given the few times that he wakes up before Spencer in the morning, he looks at her beautiful face. He thought about their life, what they've been through and now how happy they are and he knew he can take whatever it is thrown his way as long as Spencer and their children are endgame. He is just thankful that maybe he has done something so good in his life to deserve this beautiful person next to him, "I understand what it's like to have a home ever since we got together."

They pulled over their familiar driveway, Caleb still has butterflies on his stomach whenever he looks at their house, no their home. But tonight they have the whole house and night to themselves. He smiled at himself, it's going to be a fun night.

Spencer opened the car door and stretched out her hand to him once he is out of the car too. He gladly took it as they walk inside their home.

###########

Spencer woke up when she heard their dog bark but she could have sworn she also heard the alarm from the door for a few seconds before it stopped. She grabbed her discarded nightshirt and underwear from the floor and hurriedly put them on while nudging Caleb to wake up too.

"Caleb, wake up" she gently said to him, her heart pounding fast.

"Spence, go back to sleep, I'm tapped out." He said in between pillow talk.

"Someone opened the door and the alarm went on for a while but it stopped," she explained while picking up his boxers from the night stand and handing it to him. "On the other hand, you throw your clothes around a lot." They got too carried away way too much after the hot activity after their Fri-date night.

He lazily took the pieces of clothing from her, "You can't blame me for being excited, let me check it and you stay here."

"Are you crazy? No way, we're going there together or should we just call the police?"

"But what if it's just a security glitch? But yeah, better safe." He got off the bed and took a baseball bat from the closet.

The couple silently threaded the hallway towards the stairs. It's too dark and when Spencer switch on the lights when it came on, she saw nothing peculiar. She listened carefully for any sudden movements, there's none.

Spencer thug Caleb's hand and gestured that they split up and she's going to the kitchen while he checks the living area. She switch on the light, there's nothing that looks unusual, maybe she's just dreaming about it. It is not the first time it happened given what happened to her with A, with AD and with Leslie.

She grabbed the handle of the refrigerator poured herself a glass of water. She almost smiled at how silly this is, good thing that the children are not in the house. As she closed the door she felt something cold and hard pushed against the back of her head. She started breathing heavily and she dropped the glass of water.

Caleb heard something broken from the kitchen and immediately rushed over to check on his wife. He stopped his tracks when he saw a hooded figure in a baby mask with a gun against Spencer's head.

"Stop it right there or this is the last thing you will remember about your wife." And it started talking to Spencer, "try fighting with me and your husband gets bullet in his head."

Spencer's body is enveloped with so much fear but she tried her best to look composed, "Don't hurt my husband, please"

Another figure, taller than the one behind Spencer stood behind Caleb and a barrel is pointing at his head too, then had him seated to the nearby dinner chair and put plastic handcuffs on his hands.

"What do you want?" Spencer said in panic, "money, there's upstairs but we will give you our cards and there's more than a hundred thousand there, we will not call the police just let us go."

"Kneel down," the figure instructed to Spencer which she's still confused but gladly obliged, the hooded person pulled Spencer's hair and Caleb can see the pain when the person slapped Spencer so hard the corner of her mouth started to bleed.

"Please don't hurt her," Caleb pleaded "I will do whatever you want please let my wife go."

The person grabbed Spencer's cheeks and slapped her again on the other side with such intensity, she almost fell flat on her face. And she pulled her up with her hair again and Caleb can see Spencer is tearing up and very shaken.

"We are still have little children, we have two kids and they still need their parents, please don't kill us." Spencer said in a mumble, her mouth is all bleeding. And just as Spencer finished talking the person kicked her in the back Spencer fell on her face a part of her temple now started bleeding too.

"Please stop hurting her, what do you want. Kill me if that's what it takes but please not her anymore."

Spencer is already down on the floor and she's clutching her bleeding mouth and the hooded person kicked her in the abdomen.

"Poor baby, why don't you beg for your wife's life." The figure mocked Caleb.

"Please don't hurt her," Caleb said in a whimper and he can hear Spencer sobbing in the floor, "Spence, whatever happens you know that I love you, okay?"

Spencer looked at her with half hooded eyes still crying but she nodded her head, she silently mouthed I love you to Caleb and she's kicked twice again. Caleb racked his head how they will ever get out of this, how he will save Spencer? He felt something sting him in the neck, and her realized that the other person is drugging him.

"No, no! Spencer listen to me I love you and I will get us out." But his head started bobbing. His mouth is not producing the same sound. He can't move his arms and he's very, very sleepy. He cab't hear Spencer anymore.

"Caleb?" she called out, "Caleb!" and there's no response, "what did you do to him?" she asked her voice is all crying calling out his name. "If something happen to Caleb, I swear."

"You swear what, Spencer?" taunted the masked person, "Look at yourself, what can you do, seriously?" And it walk towards her again, "Don't be overly dramatic, it's just tranquilizer he may not even remember this when he wakes up if you are lucky," the hooded figure gently tapped Caleb's cheeks to check if he is knocked out. "So here it is we can do this the hard way or the easy way, your choice." The hooded figure took a tablet from her bag and showed her the security configuration of her parents' house. "We can get there as easy as we got here and take one of your child or both of them maybe in the process your parents can get hurt, we don't want that, don't we?"

Spencer wiped the blood on her mouth, "what do you want? I will do it just don't hurt my family."

"You go with us, that's all. And Caleb, your kids, your parents, walks away unharmed. You see I have not laid my hands on Caleb."

"If I go you will not go after my family?"

"I will not go after your family as long as no nasty business Spencer or deal is off and it's open season for us."

"Okay. I will go with you but please untie Caleb." Spencer watched as Caleb is let loose and the tall figure gently laid his body on the floor. "Just let me say goodbye to him."

"He is knocked off. He cannot hear you anymore."

But Spencer ignored it, she gently pulled herself to be near him again, she touched his face, his seemed so peaceful and beautiful. Spencer is not sure if this is the last time he will see him, traces of blood are left by her hands, "I love you Caleb, if I don't make it out alive this time, you and our children are the best thing that ever happened to me." She felt blood and tears run through her face and her body hurts so much but she also knew she will not hesitate to give her life to him and their children. A part of her is scared that if something will happen to her she never even had the chance to say goodbye to her children and Caleb, she knew Caleb he will blame himself for this. She wanted to tell him that it's never his fault but if this really is the end for her, she wanted to tell him that her years with him is the happiest she's ever been. She will always be grateful for the beautiful memories they shared together, how special each year has become and how polarizing the sadness in her heart.

"Spencer it's time to go."

Spencer wobble as she stood up and looked at Caleb one more time, her blood dripping on the floor. She's handcuff her hands in front of her once she boarded the black heavily tinted van and she's asked to take a sleeping pill or she'd rather be drugged like Caleb? She took in the pill that's popped in her mouth and felt the bitter taste get stuck at the back of her throat as she struggled to swallow it. She looked back as they drove away, it may be the last time she will ever see Caleb, their children, their house again, the driveway where their son learned to take his baby steps earlier this year, the first house where Yani had her first real room and Caleb called their very own home, a place she imagined they will grow old together. She could feel the sore of her body but nothing compares on being taken away from her loved ones and she started crying.


End file.
